


Underworld

by LyricalKris



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Multi, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-24
Updated: 2010-12-24
Packaged: 2017-11-08 01:49:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 83,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/437789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyricalKris/pseuds/LyricalKris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>
  <a href="http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o82/lyricalkris/Twilight%20Fanfic%20Stuff/?action=view&current=UW.jpg"></a>
  <img/>
</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to Underworld

**Author's Note:**

> [](http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o82/lyricalkris/Twilight%20Fanfic%20Stuff/?action=view&current=UW.jpg)

_**A/N: This was written for the Two for the Price of One contest. It won the reader award! So thanks!**_

_**Disclaimer : SM would never admit that she finds this sexy, and she definitely wouldn't write it - ergo, I am not her and do not own these characters.**_

The door to the house slammed, making the walls shake. Jasper Whitlock automatically turned the TV off and waited where he was in the living room. Sure enough, his roommate and occasional lover, Edward Cullen, appeared at the entryway. He paused there, pinching the bridge of his nose and breathing deeply.

"She does realize that people don't bring semi-automatic weapons into the workplace without provocation, right?" he gritted out through clenched teeth.

Jasper just clucked sympathetically. He'd figured that Edward would come home tense. When they were about to leave work for home their boss, Isabella Swan, had called him into her office. Visiting Miss Swan's office was never a good thing. The woman was infuriating. She'd once called Jasper into her office to congratulate him and had managed to raise both his pay and his blood pressure.

So Jasper was prepared. He'd caught a ride home with a buddy and thought of how to make Edward feel better, knowing he would need it. He sat all the way back on the couch, spreading his legs wide. "Come here, doll" he said softly, beckoning Edward with two fingers.

Edward looked up from under his eyelashes, his lips quirking and disrupting his otherwise irritated expression. He walked to Jasper, holding out his hand and letting the other man pull him down to sit between his legs.

With a moan, Edward relaxed his shoulders as Jasper's long, strong fingers began to work over the tense muscles of his neck. The blond always knew exactly how to soothe his fits of temper. He felt his jaw unclench.

"So," Jasper said, making his voice calm and lilting like a master hypnotist, "what did she say?"

Edward began to recount the last hour of his life as Jasper worked his fingers along his neck, across his shoulders and over his scalp. Whenever Edward's words would get harsh, his warm voice going cold with residual fury, Jasper would lean in, pressing his lips against the back of his hair, and Edward would melt again.

"That woman," Jasper said, his fingers working down Edward's spine, "is a real bitch."

"No," Edward sighed softly, arching his back against Jasper's hands. He let out a long, slow breath. "She's just doing her job. You know the bigwigs must be all over her."

Jasper said nothing, instead concentrating on a stubborn knot. This was a frequent argument between them. Jasper thought she just got off on crushing the souls of the people beneath her - they were almost all men, after all. Edward took in Bella's severe look - long, dark brown hair swept into a perfectly coiffed, tightly coiled bun, smart pantsuits, pressed with military precision, librarian glasses and a harsh expression - her snippy attitude, and the fact that she kept her employees at arm's length and concluded that it must be hard on her to be a woman in their business world.

Still, Miss Swan had given him quite the dressing down that evening. It was strange that Edward snapped right back into defending her. Unless...

"You still have a crush on her," Jasper accused, leaning down so his breath heated the shell of the other man's ear.

Edward chuffed, tilting his head as Jasper began to press kisses against the side of his hair. "What are we, in grade school?"

A non-answer. That was a yes. Jasper let his tongue dart out, sucking lightly as he moved his lips over Edward's sparsely stubbled cheek. "It's true, isn't it?"

With a growl that resonated deep in his chest, Edward leaned all the way back against the blond man. "Yes," he admitted just before he turned his head, catching Jasper's too convincing lips.

He couldn't help but be attracted to her. She was smart, gorgeous and extremely witty - even if her wit stung like a sonova bitch to the person it was directed at. It didn't help that her ass looked fantastic in those pantsuits.

Taking pity on his friend, Jasper let him get away with silencing his questioning with his mouth. He lapped against Edward's lips like a cat enjoying a saucer of milk. Obediently, Edward opened his mouth, his own tongue coming out to meet Jasper's.

"Mmm," Jasper hummed, pleased. Then he bucked his hips slightly, urging Edward to get up. "Come on. Get ready. We're going out. Put on something black and sexy."

Edward quirked a single eyebrow, craning to look at Jasper with a grin. "Underworld?"

Underworld was a local, Goth type club where many of the patrons were looking for a little uncomplicated pleasure...preferably with some sort of bondage involved. It was a favorite for both the men.

"You know it. A naughty girl or boy is just the thing to get your mind off our way too pretty, evil witch of a boss," Jasper affirmed.

~0~

As far as these clubs went, Underworld was a fairly mild. It wasn't the type of place where you were going to see anything as out there as a corset piercing. There was a lot of crimson and deep, dark purple. There was a smattering of neon greens and yellows. There was more black than there were Chinese people in China.

Despite the fact that their blond and bronze colored hair didn't fit in with the color scheme, Edward and Jasper always got a lot of attention. Any day of the week they were sexy. Dressed in tight, muscle hugging black, showing all the piercings they had to cover up at work, and Jasper's arm uncovered to show off his tattoo, they were deadly.

They'd been there maybe half an hour and were sitting in a booth, chatting with a couple they'd met - a woman with fiery red hair and black lipstick named Victoria and her submissive, spike-collar wearing partner, Riley - when Jasper did a double take. "You've got to be kidding me."

Edward followed his gaze and gasped, his mouth hanging open.

Across the room, pressed against the wall and drinking from tumbler of amber colored liquid, was none other than Isabella Swan.

Only she wasn't in a pantsuit now.

No, she was an absolute vision. Net floral thigh-highs set off by red sheer under-stockings, climbed the curves of her long, slender legs. There was just a strip of perfect, white skin showing before the simple, black, pleated mini-skirt she wore. The sleeves of the velvety black top she wore didn't quite cover the - god almighty - tattooed cuff around her upper arm. Her hair had been ironed straight and sleek. Her lips were painted as black as Jasper claimed her soul was.

Edward felt his cock twitch.

He was startled back to reality as Victoria dragged the edge of one long, blood red, fingernail under his chin. "Edward, if you don't close your mouth, I'm going to have to take that as an invitation," she purred.

Edward's mouth snapped shut with a click.

"Excuse us," Jasper said, standing and pulling his friend up with him.

They stopped just short of their boss, ducking quickly out of sight for a moment. "Are we really going to do what I think we're going to do?" Edward murmured to his roommate.

"Think about it. She's here alone. What do you think that means? Edward, the boss that makes our life a living hell is in a club that suggests she just might like to be bound and dominated," Jasper whispered in his ear, smirking as Edward's entire body shivered at the titillating thought. "What kind of friend would I be if I let you pass this up?"

The bronze haired man tore his gaze away from the stunning vixen to stare at Jasper. "Me?"

"Well, I'll be there to help," Jasper chuckled. "Tell me you don't want it. Tell me you don't want her completely at our mercy." He leaned in, pressing his body against the other man's and making his voice a rumble. "Tell me you don't want to order her around for once. Hmmm?"

As Jasper no doubt intended, Edward's tight pants seemed entirely too constricting then. He squirmed, lust crashing over him so powerfully his vision blurred around the edges. He swallowed hard.

Just then, Isabella moved, turning to head down a hallway that connected the less noisy part of the club with the blacklit dance floor. Edward started striding after her before he even knew he was moving. With a lascivious grin, Jasper quickly followed.

They caught up with Isabella about halfway down the hallway. Feeling their presence in the otherwise empty space, she looked over one shoulder and then stopped cold. She spun around completely, a vague look of horror crossing her features before she tempered it into the same, hard look they were used to. She straightened her shoulders and tilted her head, quirking an eyebrow as if daring them to speak.

Jasper was more than up for that challenge. "Fancy meeting you here, Isabella."

The skin around her eyes tightened just slightly at the use of her first name, but she didn't correct him. "I am Jack's lack of surprise," she said dryly, her eyes flitting between the both of them, taking in the way they stood so close together. "I knew I should have gone to Thrust."

Both men grinned at that, making no attempt to hide the way they devoured her body with their eyes. "Come now, Isabella," Edward murmured, "You know Thrust doesn't have what you're looking for."

Again, her eyes gave her away for the space of a breath before she calmed them. "What do you know about what I want?"

Edward glanced at Jasper out of the corner of his eye. She wasn't backing down. Maybe they had assumed too much.

But Jasper was certain. His grin got wider, and he outright leered at her.

She chuffed, trying to ignore the way her body was responding. These men who, any other time, in any other place, would back down with a servile, 'yes, ma'am,' were now regarding her with a look that was hungry where she was used to loathing.

Feeling the situation spiraling out of her control - something she was not used to when it came to the people who worked under her - Bella's self defense mechanism kicked in. She snickered, letting her eyes roam condescendingly over the make-up on Jasper's face.

"Do you know what the problem is with your style?" Bella asked, brushing a thumb under Jasper's eye, careful not to smear his guyliner. "If your boyfriend paddles your ass too hard, your mascara is going to run right down your cheeks."

She tried to drop her hand to her side then but Jasper reached out, grabbing her wrist. He was done with games. He was, officially, calling her bluff.

"Isabella," Edward said lowly, amusement playing at his lips and dancing in his eyes, "Jasper is  _not_ the submissive in any relationship."

Her eyes darted from Edward back to Jasper, a quick flicker of fear flashing in her big, brown eyes.

Dropping her wrist now that he had her attention, Jasper looked down and chuffed, one side of his mouth curling up into a wicked sneer. He took a huge step forward, forcing his boss to step backward as he drew himself up straight. His height, as he loomed over her, was intimidating. Even when she was pressed flat against the wall he kept coming until his body was up against hers, completely consuming her.

She was struggling to keep her face impassive, pushing back the urge to bolt or bite her lip. Her lips parted but her mouth was suddenly dry, any demands that he get away from her strangled in her throat.

If it were possible, his grin widened at her obvious nervousness. He ran the pads of his fingers up the bare skin of her arm, watching as her body shivered and feeling the gooseflesh rise. He continued upward, following the contours of her upper arms and shoulders. Finally, two of his fingers curled under her chin, tilting her head up.

Jasper leaned in so his lips tickled the sensitive skin near her ear. When he spoke, his voice was low and just skirting the edge between gravel and velvet - like a rose petal dried and blackened around the edges. "You are not in charge here. That's not what you came here for, is it?"

Again, she couldn't speak, her mind feeling cloudy and weighted down. She was terrified.

She was excited.

Jasper's hand slid from her chin around to the nape of her neck where he wound her hair around his fingers. He gripped hard enough to make her gasp. "Answer me," he demanded, his tone even. "You came here to be controlled, didn't you?"

As he spoke, he nudged her ear with the tip of his nose, his hot breath sending chills down her spine. "Yes," she admitted, her brain muddled with the sensation of his touch.

He tugged her hair again, and she was surprised that it was just the right amount of pain. "Yes what?" he growled.

She wasn't sure of what her line was here and found herself scrambling. She  _wanted_ to please him. "Yes, sir," she guessed.

It must have been the right answer because he chuckled - a lovely sound that reverberated in her blood stream - and darted his tongue out to trace the shell of her ear. With a shuddering breath, Bella relaxed infinitesimally, falling forward slightly against him.

She almost fell flat on her face when Jasper turned abruptly and walked away. Off balance and a little lightheaded from the adrenaline that left her blood reedy, she stumbled but a pair of strong hands braced her arms then.

Edward's body, as he drew her against him, gave off a whole different kind of energy than Jasper's had. With the blond leaning over her, fear had vied for attention with arousal. In Edward's arms, tucked against his body, she felt inexplicably safe. She looked up, blinking into his eyes with an almost childlike expression of confusion.

She was bewitchingly innocent and sinful all at once. Unable to help himself any longer, he stroked the skin of her cheek with the pad of a single finger. Her breath came out as a sigh, and her eyelids fluttered as he curled his finger under chin, tilting her face up. Her eyes closed completely when he leaned down to kiss her.

The kiss was gentle - almost worshipful. He didn't try to deepen it and, after a moment, he smiled against her skin before he pulled back completely. "Come on, Isabella," he murmured, wrapping an arm around her waist and drawing her toward the door.

"Bella," she corrected, surprised she could even speak with the widely varying emotions crowding her head and making it very difficult to think.

"Hmm?" he asked, not quite hearing her whispered voice in the noise of the club.

"I don't like Isabella. It's just Bella," she said a little louder.

Edward grinned down at her. "Bella," he repeated, noticing that even saying her name gave him a thrill he couldn't identify.

When they got to the car, Edward pulled Bella into the back seat with him. Now that he could finally touch her, he didn't want to stop. No sooner had the door closed than he was all over her. One hand rested on that patch of skin above her thigh-highs while the other splayed over her back, pushing her against him. He kissed her again then because she'd tasted so good the first time - the bitterness of the alcohol she'd been drinking mixed with a flavor that could only be hers.

Bella's head spun as her body responded to Edward's kisses. This was not what she'd expected - though not much of that night had been. Still, she had been prepared for hard, demanding lips and probing tongues. The way Edward kissed her was sensual. He was in no hurry, seeming to be content to thoroughly explore one position before he tilted his head just slightly to move on to the next. His tongue moved against hers languorously. These were lovers' kisses - tender but building an aching need at her very core.

The truth, though Bella never would have admitted it, was that she had longed for Edward Cullen to kiss her this way - or harder, whatever he preferred, really. She was neither blind nor a lesbian. She was not oblivious to how devastatingly attractive Edward was. Not only that, but he was so smart she'd wondered more than once what the hell he was doing at a company like theirs. He was also kind, but with a sarcastic streak that had almost cracked the impassive mask she was forced to wear more than once.

She'd liked Edward Cullen - in that longing school-girl, very grown up fantasies kind of way -since the first week he'd worked for her.

And Jasper Whitlock? Well, that was the strawberry cream filling in the all-her-secret-fantasies come-true cake that was this situation she found herself in.

Her thoughts didn't solidify again until they were inside the house that Jasper and Edward shared.

As soon as they were in the door, Jasper pulled her out of Edward's arms into a hard, demanding kiss - just like the one she'd imagined. His hands landed on the backs of her legs, making her squeal slightly, the sound muffled against his mouth, as he moved them up, under her skirt, to cup her ass. He squeezed, pulling her hard against him.

She could feel his erection through his pants and shifted automatically against him.

Jasper broke their kiss with a groan, looking down at her. He grinned lopsidedly. "Come on, basement is this way."

That stopped Bella as quickly as if he'd thrown a bucket of ice water on her. She forced herself to make her voice steady. "What's in the basement?"

Edward stepped into her line of vision, a broad smile on his face. "All the recreational equipment."

"Why the basement?" she pressed.

"Well, you know our parents visit," Jasper drawled out, his tone condescending. He unwrapped his arm from around her and leaned against the door jamb casually. "They have no idea what I like to do to cocky, bitchy little girls on the weekends."

Bella's eyes narrowed as she looked at him, biting back the urge to put him in his place. Then she fully realized what she was about to do. She'd let two of her employees take her to their home with the implication that she'd let them do whatever they wanted. Two employees who'd seen the worst side of her - the ice cold queen bitch persona that she wore at work because if she didn't, her own bosses would never give her the respect she deserved...and needed if she was ever going to move higher than where she was.

And they wanted to take her to their basement.

Yeah - she'd seen this horror movie before. Right about then, the music would have taken a turn for the suspenseful and she would have been screaming at the screen, "Run the other way you stupid bitch!"

Edward saw the change in her instantly. She still had that self-assured, haughty expression, but if you looked closed enough you would see that she was trembling. It was a small motion - a simple vibration of her body that betrayed her fear and nervousness. Wordlessly, she spun on her heel, eager to be away from this place.

"Wait," Edward said, and he reached out to grab her wrist in the same instant.

Her whole body tensed but she stopped.

"Look at me," Edward said softly. It was a request and not a demand. She also noticed that his hold on her wrist was loose - easily breakable if she chose to make a run for it. She turned toward him slowly and, with great effort, met his gaze. "If you want to leave, no one is going to stop you. We know what you were looking for - going to that club, and if you stay I promise that you'll enjoy it. I also promise you this: if you want to stop, it will stop. You can trust us." Slowly, he put his fingers under her chin and held them there until her nervous eyes flitted up to his. "Believe me - no one is going to punish you."

"Not for things that happened outside of this place anyway," Jasper added cheekily.

Bella's eyes darted between the two of them. Their eyes, even Jasper's, conveyed an open assurance. They weren't going to hurt her just because she would be completely at their mercy. That wasn't how this game was played.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, she nodded and extended a hand toward Jasper.

The basement was not at all like she expected. It was an open, very clean room. Bella's breath again caught in her throat.

The four poster bed that sat against one wall had restraints on it. There were a couple of cabinets, and she could guess the kinds of treasures they held. It was obvious that they were dabblers and not full on into any scene, but they were well equipped for what promised to be a thrilling night.

Jasper caught Bella around the waist and drew her forward to the middle of the room. He positioned her standing in front of a couch while Edward sat.

Again Jasper pulled Bella up against him, his fingers pressing against the skin at her hips as his tongue stroked along hers. Bella moaned, her hands moving to wind around his neck but he was quicker. He caught her by the wrists, his slender, capable fingers like manacles holding her still. He broke their kiss, tilting his head at her. "Now, that's not how this works, Princess. You," he began, speaking slowly as he lifted her arms above her head, "are going to follow my instructions to the letter." He put her hands on her head. "Are we clear on that?"

It didn't escape Bella's notice that she had used almost the exact same words on Edward earlier that day. Jasper obviously knew and was obviously enjoying turning her own words around on her.

Well, she didn't blame him. More accurately, coming from his lips in this situation, those words made her nipples harden.

Fighting to keep her breath steady, Bella nodded her understanding.

"Good. Don't move," Jasper commanded, and no sooner were the words out of his mouth than his lips were on her once again. Everything in Bella's instincts wanted to grip his long, blond hair in her fists and just pull him closer, but, even more, she wanted to please him. She controlled her reactions and let him control her body.

Jasper's hands took their time making their way back down to her waist. Once he was there, though, his fingers crawled around her, finding the clasp and undoing it without forgetting what his lips were doing. He was obviously a good multitasker, but then Bella had always known that.

She whimpered slightly as her skirt fell down to a puddle at her feet, the cool air hitting the exposed skin of her ass and upper thighs. From the couch, Edward groaned aloud at the view. Jasper had turned her around so he could see her pert ass peeking out from the red and black patterned, gauze and lace boy panties she wore. Unable to stand being constricted any longer, Edward quickly undid the button of his pants and slid them off.

"Stretch your hands above your head," Jasper ordered, putting a few inches of distance between them so she was no longer pressed against him.

Bella was quick to obey, stretching her fingers upward. She was rewarded with Jasper's approving smile as he pulled her shirt up and off of her. When he'd discarded the thing, he moved her hands back down to her head.

The bra she wore was scanty and matched her panties and thigh-highs. Unable to take it any longer, Edward was up, his hands splaying across the perfect curvature of her back in the next instant. He traced patterns across her back, enjoying the way she moaned, and how her body shivered under the pads of his fingers.

She wanted to turn around, but Jasper's eyes held hers. His hands cupped her sex over the gauzy fabric that covered her, feeling her heat. He smirked because they were obviously driving her crazy.

He crooked two fingers on either side of her panties, slowly pulling them down her legs even as Edward's fingers undid the clasps of her bra. It was hard to concentrate on the separate tactile sensations of Edward's fingers sliding along her arms, bringing her hands down so he could slip the bra off her, and Jasper working her panties along her legs, his hand cupping first one calf, lifting her leg so he could get them off, and then the other.

"Leave the shoes," Jasper snarled near her ear when she tried to kick her heels off. Quickly, she stilled again.

Edward had disappeared from her back, and she made a tiny whining sound in the back of her throat before she could help it. But then he was back. She heard a whisper of fabric before Edward drew a length of cool, silky fabric down over her eyes. She gasped, but hardly had time to process her sudden blindness before Jasper was pulling her arms up above her again. She felt soft rope wind around her wrist, tight enough to secure her arms above her head but easy enough not to bite into her skin.

Once she was well bound and blindfolded, they both stepped away. Bella whimpered, biting her lip and listening to try to figure out what all the movement in the room meant.

But then, Edward's voice was near her ear. "Are you alright?" he asked tenderly.

She started a little, started to find that they'd switched places - and from the feel of his heated skin against hers, front to front - they'd lost their clothes. "Yes," she whispered, finding her voice lacked any sort of volume.

She was more than alright, but quickly being driven into some sort of frenzy that she had no name for. She had long ago discovered about herself that she enjoyed rough sex. Even further than that, surrendering the control she was used to wielding so entirely in a sexual situation had given her great pleasure in the past. But this...

Maybe it was because they were her employees. Maybe it was because she'd lusted after both of them - Edward in particular - for a long time. Maybe it was because they both knew how to drive her crazy so, so, so slowly with their long, talented fingers.

And they hadn't even really touched her yet.

Then Jasper was at her back. "You can make as much noise as you want," he murmured against her ear, "but I don't want to hear a single word out of you. Let's see if you can keep your pretty, little mouth shut for once. Understand?"

She nodded obediently, and the boys shared a smile over her shoulder.

With his hands at her waist, his fingers digging into the skin there with a firm, possessive pressure, Jasper guided Bella's backward so her back was flush against his front. He knew she could feel his arousal pressed against her, and he gyrated his hips slightly to excite her.

At the same time, Edward stepped up to her, his long, graceful fingers winding into her hair as a master musician would play a harp. As he wove through the strands, he struck beautiful notes that resonated through Bella's body, exciting her senses. He pulled her long hair back, away from her neck, and immediately put his teeth and lips and tongue to her skin.

Bella knew instantly what he was doing. He was marking her. Where his teeth bit just slightly into her flesh and his breath sucked the skin up even as his tongue ran over it she knew there would be a purple-red bruise tomorrow.

Maybe she would have protested that, but in the next instant, on the other side of her neck, Jasper's lips and teeth and tongue attacked her on the exact same, opposite spot. Her protest was swallowed whole by the gasp that ran through her.

Jasper's fingers at her waist, tracing titillating circles.

Edward's fingers in her hair, gripping and massaging and petting.

Their mouths at her neck, sucking and tasting and licking.

When they were sure their territory was properly marked -brilliant bruises that she would have to let her hair out of its normal, severe style in order to cover up at the office -Jasper licked a trail up to her ear. He ran his tongue along the shell with a light brush while his hands guided her waist from side to side against his hard length. Edward, in the meantime, moved his lips to her collarbone, where he began placing wet, open mouthed kisses.

"You know what you're going to do now, Bella?" Jasper rumbled against her ear. Her only response was a strangled whimper that she tried unsuccessfully to bite back. She waited and he continued. "You're going to thrust that little chest of yours out. Because our boy Edward here - he's a breast man. Don't you worry, little darlin', Edward is a very big supporter of all you really need is a mouthful."

Bella didn't need any more prompting than that. She willfully obeyed, pushing her chest up and out. True to Jasper's word, Edward's mouth was drawn to her small but perky tits. Like dirt to a little kid's brand new, dressy clothes, he was all over that. His lips spread wide around her even as his tongue found her nipple and flicked. Flick. Swirl, flick, flick, slow swirl, as his lips worked at her skin in light, wet brushes.

She arched her chest against Edward's mouth, her shoulders thrown back against Jasper's chest, her head resting on his shoulder, and Jasper's hands pulled her waist against his groin.

She was a bow pulled tight, gasping and squirming as Edward repeated the motions against her other breast.

"Spread your legs," Jasper growled.

Bella breathed in sharply, her hands in fists on the ties that bound her. She widened her stance and Jasper rewarded her by turning her head toward him so he could kiss her - his lips moving sensually over hers.

Edward's lips disappeared from her breasts and she moaned at the loss. There was a rustle. Then his wet mouth reappeared at her navel.

As his tongue traced a circle around her belly-button, Edward's left hand ran up her cloth-covered right leg. He started at her ankle - the palm of his hand along the back of her leg as his fingers wrapped around the front. He slid that hand up, purposefully tickling her kneecaps with the pads of his fingers. Her answering giggle was breathless and then she cried out in surprise as he lifted her leg, placing it over his shoulder.

Completely off balance, Bella found herself leaning against a wall of Jasper. His hands went back to her waist, holding her steady. It was a good thing as Edward ran his fingers over her center then. "Oh, God," she moaned in a whisper. Then she froze, her breath catching.

Jasper chuckled, long and low, letting it slide because the sound of her voice was wanton and sexy. It made his cock twitch against her ass.

"She's so wet for us," Edward moaned. The sound of his voice made Bella jerk, her hips coming forward to tempt his fingers inside. Edward wouldn't be deterred, instead running two fingers along the slickness outside of her folds. "She smells so good," he continued. He let his fingers brush inside her and then spread them, holding her open. Bella made a small noise at the back of her throat, her body unconsciously coiling tight as a spring. "I want to taste," he growled. His lips were against her belly as he spoke the last, causing a vibration that made her body sing with energy like a tuning fork being struck.

They were all, relatively, still for a moment. Edward had his lips at Bella's navel, his breath hot on her already feverish skin. Bella leaned back against Jasper, her breaths making her whole body shudder in anticipation. Jasper's hands slid up her torso, tracing the bottoms of her breasts without touching the while he gently nibbled on her earlobe.

Then, when Bella thought she would scream if they didn't move soon, Edward lowered his head, lapping at her gently. At the same time, Jasper cupped both her breasts in his hands, the callouses from years of playing his guitar hard causing stimulating sensations as he kneaded her supple skin at the same pace Edward moved his tongue over and inside her.

For several minutes there was just the sound of Bella's breathing becoming more labored. Edward continued to move his tongue inside of her, alternating speeds and pressure as his free hand brushed along the inside of her thigh. Jasper's fingers pinched her nipples, eliciting little cries from her as he tugged them. He ran his hands down the length of her body, brushing over her stomach with a feather's touch, before running them all the way back up and around her nipples, and Bella began to moan outright.

It was so much. The pressure that had been building in her steadily since Jasper had pressed her up against the wall of the club earlier that evening was building its way to something almost violent in its intensity. Without her permission her body began to writhe, squirming and slipping against Jasper's body with the sheen of sweat on both of them. It wasn't long before any semblance of composure eluded her, and it was all she could do to keep her caterwauling from becoming actual words.

Edward wanted nothing more than to make her come against his tongue. Watching her come undone was a fantasy he'd never been able to shake. But Jasper had other ideas. He reached down, tugging up on Edward's ear in a silent command. With a short, muffled groan, Edward forced himself to sit back on his haunches, licking his lips.

Bella whined wordlessly, shamefully, as he put her foot back on the ground.

"You didn't think you'd get to come first?" Jasper teased, his hands still stroking the length of her body. "You gotta work for it, sugar."

_Anything,_  she wanted to scream, but she only bit her lip and waited.

Jasper chuffed softly, impressed. "Good girl," he murmured, stroking her sweat-dampened hair back off her flushed face. He reached up then, untying her and rubbing her wrists in his hands. "Kneel," he barked.

She dropped to her knees so quickly that he had to cover his laugh with the palm of his hand. She was, he had to admit, very sexy. Nude except for thigh-highs and heels, her skin bright pink from her cheeks down to her breasts with blush and exertion, on her knees and waiting for his next command with her lower lip caught between her teeth - she was nothing short of a goddess. Gorgeous didn't begin to cover it. Divine was closer. Edward quirked an eyebrow at Jasper's lust-filled expression as if to say,  _told you so._

Jasper just shook his head ruefully and moved around behind Bella. He knelt behind her, kissing her shoulder with soft pressure. Smug satisfaction colored his features when he heard her breath stutter. This was a technique he used to keep his partners on their toes, never knowing what to expect. His gentleness with her then was entirely opposite from his previous roughness.

Just as she began to melt backward against him, he grabbed her arms and yanked them behind her back. Bella let out a short, startled cry. "You know what we're going to do with you, Bella?" he asked, his voice rumbling over her shoulder like waves tumbled the sand. "We're going to fuck you hard," he said as he tied her hands together at the wrist. "And you know that Edward and I do everything quite. Fucking. Thoroughly."

She whimpered. Jasper took his time, stroking her hair away from her face. "Is that what you want?"

Part of her wondered what this we business consisted of. Double penetration? What if one of them tried to stick his cock in her ass? What if _both_ of them tried to?

But then, at that moment, she was in such a tizzy that she might have agreed to anything. She nodded enthusiastically. One way or another, she wanted one of them inside her.

There was a rustle as Jasper stood, moving to stand beside Edward in front of her again. He reached down and removed the blindfold from her eyes. Bella blink, blink, blinked up at them - her eyes eager even as she struggled to focus on them. Then her gaze centered on the beautiful sight in front of her.

They were standing side by side. Edward's arm was flung lazily around Jasper's waist, his free hand stroking the blond haired man's erect cock. Jasper's hand stroked Edward's hair much in the way he had hers just moments before.

From the way they'd felt brushing against her, Bella had been able to tell that neither of them were small. Jasper's cock was long enough that she wondered if she could deep-throat it without gagging. The ache to please him - keep that satisfied, hungry expression on his face - was almost a need to her. She didn't want to disappoint him.

Edward wasn't as lengthy as Jasper, but the missing inches seemed to have wrapped around his cock. He was just the right amount of girthy - built to satisfy.

"See something you like?" Jasper drawled out.

Licking her lips seductively, Bella nodded.

"These cocks are going to give you great pleasure, pretty little Bella," he almost sang. "Don't you think you should properly thank them with pretty little kisses?"

Taking the hint, Bella leaned carefully forward, trying to keep her balance. It was Edward's cock she went for first. Slowly, ignoring his head, Bella began to press tiny, butterfly wing kisses along Edward's length. He sighed, the feeling of her soft as silk, full lips better than any of his fantasies had been able to conjure. She was also quite the cock tease - leaving him aching for more as she wrapped her lips around the very tip of him, licking around his head with a swirl of her tongue before kissing across his thigh to get to Jasper.

As she repeated this process with Jasper, Bella's lips encountered Edward's hand. He traced his finger across her moistened lips, groaning a little when her tongue darted out to lick it. She looked up at him from under long lashes then, her expression shameless and mischievous.

"I want her now," Edward rumbled against Jasper's ear.

Painfully hard himself, Jasper couldn't help but agree. He gripped Bella's arm, helping her stand. "Bend over the bed," he commanded

"No," Edward protested. "I want to see her while I fuck her." This was an excuse. Even after the night so far, he still hadn't kissed her enough.

Jasper's hand darted out so quickly that Edward was completely unprepared when the other man's fingers threaded through his hair, gripping tightly. Both Edward and Bella gasped, neither having expected that. Smirking, Jasper tugged Edward's head back so he could growl against his ear, "I was talking to you."

He let go of the other man then, guiding Bella backward and pushing her lightly. With her arms tied behind her, Bella was more than a little off balance, and fell on her back on the bed.

Understanding, suddenly, Jasper's intentions, Edward's throat went dry. The very thought of what was about to happen drove every word out of his head save for two:  _holy fuck._

Far from unfamiliar with Jasper's dominant nature, Edward obediently bent over the bed, aligning his body with Bella's so he was leaning over - feet on the floor, his weight supported by his forearms. She felt marvelous against him. He could see it when she figured out what was going on. Her eyes got perceptibly darker, and her breath came in harder pants.

They had, in the car, already had the "we're all clean but we'll use condoms if you want" discussion. It may have been coercion - as Edward's lips were driving her to distraction at the time - but Bella had trusted them more than she'd ever trusted her previous partners. She knew them, after all. Edward and Jasper were many things, but liars they were not.

She was never more positive she'd made the right choice as when she felt Edward's cock at her entrance. She whimpered with need, raising her hips slightly as if to take him in. She was desperate for him. Behind her back, Bella tugged uselessly at her restraints, unable to overcome the urge she had to put her hands all over his body, pulling him closer.

Jasper appeared in her vision again, over Edward's shoulder. He kept his eyes trained on Bella's as he unsnapped the lid of the bottle of lube he'd taken out. His lips pursed, his face at the moment sexy beyond reason and the intensity of his stare made Bella squirm.

As Jasper began running his finger in circles around and inside Edward's asshole -spreading lube as Edward sighed at the way he tickled his nerves - the other man leaned in, taking Bella's lips again. He teased her - running his cock along her slick folds even as Jasper replaced his finger with his own dick.

Edward let Jasper set the pace. With each stroke Jasper slipped inch by inch into Edward, Edward slipped deeper inside Bella.

"Wait. Wait," Edward pleaded when both men were balls deep, suddenly sure he was going to explode right then and there. "Sweet mother of madness," he muttered breathlessly, trying to adjust. It was almost too much sensation. Between Jasper filling him so completely from behind and his cock enveloped in all that was fuckhot and Bella, he didn't think he had a pleasure center left that wasn't being stimulated.

"You'd better not make me wait long," Jasper threatened, the need to move barely under his control. Bella's eyes conveyed quite the same emotion. It was all she could do not to gyrate her hips.

But Edward was able to fight back the urge to come. He pushed back slightly against Jasper, and the blond man took that as a sign. His hands on Edward's shoulders, kneading, he began to thrust in and out of his friend's tight hole. Being inside Edward was never second best.

Each movement Jasper made transferred, moving from him, hitting Edward, and then pushing Bella against the mattress. All three of them worked up already, it didn't take long for their pace to become rough and hard.

With her arms unavailable, Bella used the rest of her body to the best of her ability. Her legs raised along Edward's side, her feet moving over Jasper's ass as he pounded into the bronze haired man. She pressed her chest against Edward's, letting him feel her erect nipples against his skin. When Edward was able to keep his concentration long enough to kiss her, she responded voraciously.

For minutes there was only the noises the three of them were able to draw out of each other. Jasper grunted, feeling Edward squeeze hard around him. He was the wordiest, uttering things he wasn't entirely conscious of. "You like it like that. Just like that. God, you're so fucking tight." Edward and Bella were both beyond words. They expressed the pleasure they felt with moans, sighs, and whimpering whines.

Bella's orgasm hit her first, the combined energy of the two men pounding into her bringing her - as Jasper promised - to a level of pleasure she had never previously experienced. The sight of her undone - her head thrown back and her hair a mass all around her - was too much for Edward to handle and he came not long after. Jasper was last, but also loudest.

Fucked almost into a comatose state, it took Edward entirely too long to figure out that they were both sort of dog-piled on Bella in a heap of sweaty limbs and bodies. He bucked slightly to stir Jasper. With a groan, Jasper rolled out of Edward, falling backward beside Bella on the bed. Edward slid out of her, holding himself up on shaking arms. He kissed her nose and then her panting lips. "Are you okay?"

Bella's lips turned up and she glanced at Jasper, raising an eyebrow.

It took his orgasm-muddled mind several seconds to figure out what she was asking. He laughed. "You can talk. You're remarkably good at following directions," he said, stroking her cheek.

Grinning, Bella turned back to Edward. "I am so far beyond fine it's a little ridiculous," she said in a scratchy voice.

Wrapping his arms around her, Edward laid on his side on the bed, bringing her with him. "You are beyond fine."

She chuckled. "I'm pretty sure that if I wasn't so completely satisfied, I'd think that particular statement was corny as hell, Cullen."

As they spoke, Jasper helpfully released Bella from her restraints. He rubbed her wrists, rolling his fingers over her muscles and working his way up her arms to her shoulders. Her appreciative moans - muffled against the skin of Edward's neck - were provocative. "Thank you," she said, looking back at him, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. Jasper just winked at her and wandered off, mumbling something about the bathroom.

They were both quite sticky and probably could use a chance to clean up much more than Jasper did, but neither Edward nor Bella wanted to move. With her hands free, Bella wrapped one arm around Edward, stroking the sheen of moisture on his back dry while she rested the other against his chest, feeling the steady thrum of his heartbeat.

Alone now, the atmosphere between them became soft and tender - warm like candlelight. It was impossible to miss the adoration in Edward's eyes. Bella's answering, gentle smile was likewise unmistakable. They didn't want to give voice to the not altogether unpleasant emotions that simmered in them and filled the air between them.

Instead of speaking, Edward only pulled her closer. Eyes closed, he kissed her. They were slow, serious kisses that she returned, running her fingers along his cheek. He didn't stop until her lips slowed their movements against his and finally stopped. He opened his eyes to find hers closed - her lips pouty as if she was still kissing him even in her sleep.

Jasper came back then, his timing impeccable as usual. He had brought the spare comforter, and brought it over all three of them as he laid down again.

"Still have a crush, huh?" he said softly, amused as he watched his friend stroke their boss's cheek adoringly.

Edward's eyes didn't leave Bella's face, but he scoffed quietly. "I'd say it's a full blown infatuation now."

**A/N: Endless thanks to josieswan and bmango for their help with this fic.**

**I am toying with the idea of continuing this. I do have a storyline in mind… what do y'all think?**

**  
**


	2. Q and A

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay. So - jsyk up front, this is gonna have a plot (gasp). I'm not saying there won't be plenty of lemons - lemon ahoy! But ya know, there might be times when there's no sex going on. Just so you're forewarned. I know this might be trying for some. (I tease because I love)
> 
> Second thing you should have in mind - I am not even vaguely attempting to portray a "real" dom/sub relationship. These three - they like playing. But not with any real rules or seriousness. They're just doing what feels good.

Bella heard a sharp smack, and the cozy, almost too-warm pillow she was cuddling grumbled, rolling slightly away from her.

"Rise and shine ya lazy fucks," a jovial, familiar voice called out from somewhere above her. Then a hand smacked her ass, once for each cheek. She heard her own squeal of surprise and opened her eyes.

The warm, grumbling pillow had brilliant green eyes and a crooked smile. She was wrapped in his arms – all muscular and male. Bella's first thought was one of wonder because she'd seen that smile before but it had never been aimed at her.

Her second thought was one of slight horror as the events of the previous night flooded back to her.

Above her, the voice that had awakened her laughed heartily. Her eyes darted from Edward's soft look to Jasper's amused grin. "Just remember where you are, Princess?" He was sitting on the edge of the bed, behind Edward. As he spoke, he reached out, drawing the back of his knuckles over bare skin of her arm. His touch tempered her uncertainty as she remembered what it felt like. The logical angel on her shoulder – panicking because ohmygodwhathadshedone – was temporarily silenced by the devil on her right. Yeah, they were her employees. They had what they needed to completely destroy what she'd built. But who cared? Last night had been, without a shadow of a doubt, the hottest night of her life.

"Something like that," she answered wryly, her voice scratchy with sleep and her face heating ridiculously. She felt like she should be ashamed to be found naked in a foreign bed... with her underlings. But that was nonsensical. It was a little late for shame when she'd been hanging, nearly nude, from their ceiling the night before.

Her cheeks flushed from pink to red as Edward shifted, his hard length brushing against her.

"You have somewhere to be today?" Jasper asked, his fingers traveling up her shoulders to stroke behind her ear even as Edward's hands began to stroke her sides.

Bella felt flustered. The angel was whispering for her to find her clothes and get the fuck out. But the devil was luxuriating in their soft touches. After all, if she was going to hell, she might as well do it thoroughly. "No, I don't think so," she said, sounding more breathy than she wanted to.

"Good," Jasper said, looking pleased. His fingers curled under her chin, and he tilted her face up to look at him. Her eyelashes fluttered as Edward's lips found her shoulder and started kissing downward. "You'll stay then."

She nodded, whimpering a little as Edward's mouth closed around her nipple, his tongue flicking and teasing.

"Good," Jasper said again. Then he smacked Edward's ass. Hard.

Edward's mouth was off her then as he winced and looked over his shoulder to glare. "Ow, shit!"

Jasper wagged a finger in his face. "Get up. You're fucking sticky and gross. No one wants to fuck sticky, gross men. Go take a shower." He glanced at Bella. "Both of you. I'll get breakfast ready." Without another word, Jasper turned and bounded up the steps.

Bella frowned, remembering belatedly that they were in a basement. The words seemed odd to think. Before she really had time to dwell, though, the bed shifted as Edward groaned and stood up. Her devil collapsed on her right shoulder, her tongue hanging out. Bella swallowed hard, trying not to remember how often she'd fantasized about what he looked like under the business casual clothing he usually wore. If she thought about that, she would have to remember work, and she didn't want to think about work right then. It would ruin the ogling.

Catching her staring, Edward smirked. He knelt on the bed, bending his face close to hers. "What are you thinking?" he asked, his voice low and so sexy that if she hadn't been laying down, she would have fallen.

What wasn't she thinking? Her mind was a mess, but her voice seemed to be connected to her libido because she spoke without thinking. "I'm thinking," she pushed herself up on the bed so her lips brushed his stubble covered cheek, "that I don't think sticky men are gross at all."

He growled, kissing her full on the lips.

"I swear to God," Jasper's voice called down to them, "if my breakfast gets cold while you two are fucking around, someone's ass is grass."

A white hot thrill of fear and excitement went straight down Bella's spine, and Edward chuckled against her lips. She made a displeased noise as he backed away. But then he was pulling her forward and up, tossing her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing. Bella shrieked in surprise.

"Your kinky ass is not getting my ass in trouble," he said cheekily as he bounded with her up the stairs.

Bella laughed as she playfully pounded on his back with her fists. From her vantage point, she could see the bright, red handprint that decorated Edward's very, very nice ass. She was all smiles as he set her down in the room he'd entered.

"My room," he identified.

One entire wall was filled with books, music and movies from floor to ceiling. Bella wondered if Edward lived in his head as much as she did. He chuckled and took her hand, leading her into the adjoining bathroom.

That was when reality slapped her like ice cold water to the face.

Her reflection looked like what this situation truly was - a clusterfuck. Sexy this was not. The makeup she'd worn had smudged, making the skin under her eyes and around her lips look bruised. She was standing, naked and garishly painted, in her employee's bathroom. Daylight - now that she wasn't in a windowless basement - brought with it the reminder of the world outside. Bella ran her hand over her lips, trying to wipe away the remnants of her black lipstick. What had she done? Many times she'd wondered how otherwise logical people could end up in the middle of utterly stupid scandals. Now she was walking in those shoes. This had every potential to be the worst mistake of her life.

Oblivious to her internal monologue, Edward had started the shower and held his hand under the stream. When it was warm, he tugged her hand, pulling her with him into the shower and shutting the glass door behind him. Immediately, he had her pressed up against the tile wall, her hands pinned by his above her head as he kissed her. Bella made a surprised sound, but her lips responded to his instantly, her body arcing up against his.

The angel and devil on her shoulders vied for control of her, one of them telling her to get the fuck out of Dodge and the other urging her to give in to her baser instincts. This is what it felt like to be alive - to have every nerve in her body completely and utterly aware and excited.

Suddenly, Edward took a step back from her. "Bella?" he asked softly, his eyes concerned.

"What? What?" she stumbled, feeling more than a little muddled.

He let go of her hands, and Bella felt foolish for some reason - desperately uncertain. "You're shaking. Are you okay?" Edward asked, stroking her cheek.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied automatically.

He studied her intently and smirked lightly. "You're not a very good liar, are you?"

Bella laughed - a wry laugh without much humor. "I'm a stupendous liar, actually," she muttered darkly. She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling cold despite the warmth of the water. She sighed.

"Are you regretting last night?"

"No. Yes." Bella closed her eyes and tried to collect her thoughts. She hated feeling so out of control - especially in front of him. "I don't know," she admitted. Opening her eyes, she gave him a sheepish look. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin..." she gestured around them. Her eyes flitted down to his length, straining toward her with expectation, and she felt honestly horrible about leading him on. She made to put her hands on him, but found his fingers wrapped around her wrists just as quick.

"It's fine," he assured, smiling at her. "Bad idea, anyway. Waste of water and all that."

At that Bella had to laugh. "You're concerned with wasting water?"

He waggled his eyebrows at her playfully. "The wasting of finite resources is everyone's business," he said with mock seriousness. He pulled her more directly under the hot spray. "You don't have to stay, you know."

Bella reached around him, considering her uncertain emotions as she grabbed a rather girly-looking poof and found the soap. She looked up at him, teasing with her eyes as she got the poof nice and sudsy. She soaped him up while he massaged shampoo into her hair.

"Tell you what," Edward said when they were both clean and she still hadn't spoken a word. "Stay for breakfast. We'll talk."

Bella's eyebrow shot up, and she let him wrap a fluffy towel around her. "Talk?"

He laughed. "We'll talk," he promised, bringing her another towel for her hair.

"Shit," she cursed, belatedly realizing that her clothes were still scattered all over the floor of the basement.

Edward had apparently thought of that. He handed her an oversized shirt. "This is my brother's, but it's been washed. I'd rather see you in one of my shirts, but this will cover more of you," he explained.

"Thank you," she said sincerely.

A few minutes later she found herself seated at their kitchen table with a truly phenomenal spread around her. That was when Bella realized she was completely famished. When all three of them had large plates of waffles, fresh fruit and bacon, they talked.

"Why do you feel like last night was a mistake?" Jasper asked, any trace of the dominating man he'd been only a half hour before replaced with a concerned expression.

Bella chewed slowly, trying to find the right words. How could she tell them without giving them more of what she had already lost? Power. She'd given them entirely too much power over her the minute she let Edward kiss her in Underworld. Control of her body was almost inconsequential to the power they had over her now.

Edward's hand on her wrist made Bella flinch. He ducked his head slightly so he could look her in the eyes, but she wasn't looking up. "We're not going to tell anyone, Bella."

She swallowed hard, trying to breathe past the sudden panic that closed her throat. In her head she could see it. How many times had she overheard the men in their office gently snickering about their latest conquests? She tried to remember if she'd ever heard Jasper or Edward talk that way. It didn't matter though. Bella wasn't oblivious to the fact that her employees hated her. If the others knew that Edward and Jasper had her bound and kneeling at their feet - well, who could resist that kind of bragging right?

Vulnerable was not a place Bella enjoyed being.

"Look," Jasper said, putting down his forkful of waffle so he could look at her. "Our boss is an infuriating, evil she-devil summoned directly from the pits of hell-"

"Jasper!" Edward protested.

"-and I think she knows that."

Though the words stung somewhat, Bella couldn't help but smirk at the humor in Jasper's voice. Grinning, he continued. "Believe me - that woman would not be welcome in my home, even if she let me work her ass over with a very large paddle like I've so often wanted to."

Again, Bella found her cheeks heating furiously. Still, his words made her squirm slightly in her seat. Both the men chuckled at her sudden shyness. "So, if my boss wouldn't be welcomed here, there's nothing to talk about at the office," Jasper concluded.

Edward's hand rested gingerly on her knee, and this time Bella didn't flinch away from his touch. The anxiety in her chest was easing considerably. Of all her employees, she'd always known she could trust Edward and Jasper. They'd never proved otherwise.

"Twenty questions," Edward suggested. "You ask us - anything you want to know - and we'll answer honestly."

Bella smiled slowly, liking the idea of full exposure when she was feeling so exposed. Her first question bubbled up instantly. "Are you two a couple?"

They glanced at each other and smirked in an almost eerie unison. "We're not together," Edward responded.

"You know the whole cliche thing where you go to college and experiment?" Jasper asked. Bella nodded. "Well, we were roommates. And we experimented." His eyes danced with mirth.

Bella bit her lip, trying not to imagine both of the men as they would have been several years earlier - kissing shyly and slowly on narrow, dorm-room beds.

"It didn't stop being - uh - pleasurable even after we knew we didn't want to be together," Edward continued. "So if we want to let off a little steam," he shrugged. "Why not?"

"Besides, Edward has a very talented mouth," Jasper said, waggling his eyebrows playfully at the other man.

Bella's lips twitched upward. She could only imagine what she would do if she had either one of these men available to her on a whim. "But how do you go from being college roommates to having a basement set up for..."

"For tying up naughty, kinky, sexy girls and boys?" Jasper suggested. Bella looked up at him from under her lashes, and he laughed. "What else would we put down there?"

"A ping pong table wouldn't be nearly as fun," Edward answered, his hand moving slowly from her knee to the inside of her thigh.

As they answered her questions, Bella began to relax. Sex could be about many things, but above all of these was trust, especially in the situation she'd allowed them to lead her into. But they trusted her with their secret lives, and so she trusted them. The more she let go, the more the atmosphere surrounding the three grew heated. Edward's fingers stroked the sensitive skin at her inner thigh, making her struggle to ask her questions with a straight face.

"What about you?" Jasper asked, holding up the last raspberry she'd been eying. He raised an eyebrow, beckoning her forward. Keeping her eyes on him, Bella let her lips close around his two fingers and the tart fruit, swirling her tongue along his skin before taking the raspberry in her teeth. "What brought you to Underworld?"

Bella rolled the raspberry around on her tongue, thinking about her answer. She held the fruit between her teeth and bit into it slowly, knowing full well that she was enticing him. She swallowed. "When your whole life is about being in perfect control, the greatest pleasure can be found in giving control over to someone else." Her eyes held his for a beat. "Entirely."

Wordlessly, Jasper stood. He looked at Edward and jerked his head toward the living room in silent order. Bella made a small, displeased noise as Edward's hand disappeared from her thigh. But just as quickly, Jasper held his hand out to her, his eyes asking rather than directing. She knew what would happen. If she put her hand in his again, then she was relinquishing control. Her body would be theirs again to do with as they pleased.

Remembering the previous night, her body felt entirely aware and titillated to the point of distraction. She put her hand in Jasper's and let him pull her to her feet. He kissed her then, his hands instantly tracing the lines of her body, chasing away any remaining nerves and heightening her most primal senses. He tasted like the strawberry topping from their waffle breakfast, and she let her tongue lap at the flavor that lingered on his lips.

Jasper spun her around, not breaking their kiss, and walked her backward into the living room. There he sat, pulling her down on his lap and trailing his kisses to her ear instead. Bella's hooded eyes found Edward where he stood in the entry way. His eyes darkened as they swept over her, and Bella felt an inexplicable tug in his direction, even though she was enjoying Jasper's ministrations.

"Do you - um," Bella stumbled, trying to concentrate as Jasper moved his feet to the inside of hers and began spreading her legs with his. "Have you ever been submissive to anyone?"

Jasper snorted lightly, his hand moving along the inside of her thigh. "Yes. Her name was Maria, and believe me when I say she took orders from no one." His hands moved to the hemline of her shirt, pulling it back and up. "It was," he snickered, his hands moving to touch the the bare skin he'd just exposed, "fun, while it lasted." He moved one hand up to her chin and turned her face toward him. "But I'm not going to pretend I don't like to be the one giving orders." He leaned in to kiss her then, his lips softer than usual, but still as demanding as ever.

Some part of her, as she let his lips direct hers, thought of the delicious irony. Of the two of them - Jasper and Edward - Jasper had always been the easiest to lead. He may not have liked it, but he would do what she asked without question. Yet Jasper was unquestionably the leader in the bedroom; Edward was obviously used to following his commands without making him explain the reasons why.

Well, she supposed it only made sense. No task she could assign them at work would bring them nearly as much pleasure as could be found here.

Their kiss broke as Jasper began to nip and lick gently at her ear. His hands were working their way up her body, below her shirt, making her skin tingle where his fingers touched. Again, Bella's eyes found Edward's. "Have you really let him...um... uh," she lost her words as Jasper's fingers found her nipples. She gasped as he squeezed hard, making her hips lift off his legs as her body stiffened.

Edward's lips turned up, his tongue darting out as he watched her writhe. "Have I really let him what?" he prompted.

"Sp... I mean," she panted. "P-punish you?"

Edward laughed quietly. "He doesn't usually ask permission." His eyes flicked up to look at Jasper, "But I didn't put up much of a fight, no."

"I told you I know what to do with the naughty - boys and girls alike," Jasper growled against her ear.

Bella bit her lip, making the whimper that bubbled at the back of her throat more of a wanton whine. She squirmed on Jasper's lap, making the blond man give a grunt of his own. Either beyond words or simply because he wanted to, Jasper snapped at Edward, making a gesture that Bella missed because she was gaping at Edward.

"What are you thinking?" Edward asked as he pushed off the wall and began stepping toward her.

Her mind was stuck on the idea of Edward in a subservient position. She still didn't really understand why the smack of a hand, a flogger, a paddle, a crop, a... whatever against bare skin produced such a physical reaction in her - even when it was her skin that was being reddened. The idea that it had been Edward was one she couldn't quite wrap her mind around. She'd glimpsed that side of the two mens' relationship the previous night - when Jasper had yanked Edward back by his hair and growled his orders into his ear.

For what had to be the millionth time since she'd awoken, Bella felt the blurred edges of surreality. She had fantasies in her head of watching two men together. It was even her preferred porn when she did browse for images. But nothing was hotter than the idea of the two men in question being Edward Cullen and Jasper Whitlock.

She was certain she would spontaneously combust. Just watching Jasper move inside of Edward, even as Edward moved inside of her, the night before was intense. She couldn't quite grasp the idea of seeing more... seeing everything.

Edward laughed at her expression, and Bella blushed again, sure she must have looked like a gaped-mouth idiot. A new thought occurred to her then. Even if Edward and Jasper never told a soul about what had happened between them, how would they ever respect her again? They'd made her blush, and spread her open, not just physically, but down to a deep, private side that was difficult for even Bella to understand about herself.

But before she could think too hard on that, Edward was on his knees in front of her. His hands went to the insides of her knees, an extreme erogenous zone for her. Again she bucked up and then hard back down, making Jasper moan. Then Edward's mouth was on her, and she couldn't have formed a coherent thought if she tried. She could feel Jasper growing harder, his cock separated from her ass by only the cotton of the sweatpants he wore.

With a low groan, Jasper's hands traveled back down Bella's body, one stopping at her waist while the other threaded into Edward's hair. He yanked up slightly, and Bella whined as Edward's tongue left her. But Jasper's hands on her waist tugged upward, and Bella found herself obeying his wordless command. She lifted herself off his lap, her hands on the couch on either side of his legs. Simultaneously, Edward dragged Jasper's pants down, his hand grabbing and stroking the blond man's length. Together, the three of them guided Bella down onto Jasper's cock.

"Sweet mother of madness," Jasper whispered, trusting upward as Bella began to move on him. As Bella set a rhythm, sliding up and down on his cock, Edward moved to sit beside them, perched on the edge of the couch. Bella's eyes were drawn and locked on his as she moved, even when his fingers began exploring her skin. He brushed his hands along the inside of her thighs, working his way inward to where she and Jasper were connected. Then he reached lower. Bella assumed he was cupping and caressing Jasper's balls as the blond man hissed out a string of curses along with Edward's name, even as he thrust up into her.

As he got close to his release, Jasper's arm came up and over Bella's chest, and he yanked her back hard against him. His lips found her neck, and he bit down hard, making Bella cry out with the slight pain. She was already bruised there from where he and Edward had marked her the night before. The stimulation made her insides clench around Jasper's length. She heard his grunt and felt him pulse inside her.

He was only still for a handful of moments after he came, then he snaked one hand up her shirt, roughly pawing her breasts, while the other found her clit. Edward leaned over them, cupping her face and kissing her, even as she moaned with Jasper's touch. Her hips lifted up as she came hard, her guttural scream mostly muffled by Edward's mouth.

It took them a few minutes to catch their breaths, and then Jasper lifted Bella slightly, moving her to sit between him and Edward on the couch. Bella leaned back, her head lulling on the back of the couch lazily as she looked between them. Though he was grinning at her, his hand resting on her upper leg, Bella could see Edward's painfully hard erection tenting the lounge pants he wore. She caressed him through his pants, making him gasp.

She lolled her head over to look at the other man, even as she continued to playfully stimulate Edward. "Do you ever give as good as you get? Or does it not work that way?" Bella asked, honestly curious.

Jasper's eyebrows shot up and he grinned. "Bella, you think I'm a selfish prick that I wouldn't get him off? Fuck, that's half the fun anyway." With that, he pushed himself off the couch, pulling up his pants as he walked the couple of steps over to Edward's side. He dropped down in font of the other man.

Bella bit her lip, her mouth suddenly going dry. Even though she was still in a haze of post-coital bliss, she felt a thrill go through her at the idea of witnessing what was about to happen.

Jasper had tugged Edward's pants down and wasted no time in taking him in his mouth. It was obvious that the blond man knew exactly what the bronze-haired man liked, because Edward's body immediately jerked in response, his eyes screwing tightly shut as he gasped. "Oh, fuck. Yes." His head tilted toward Bella, his hands tugging blindly on her shirt.

Following Edward's silent direction, she curled up against his side, eagerly swallowing his moans of pleasure with her lips. She wrapped one arm around his shoulders, pulling herself closer to him, and put the other hand to his cheek. She let that that hand trail over his chin, down his throat to his chest, and then finally down to where Jasper's head bobbed. She ran her fingers through his hair, some part of her wondering if it was even fair that it was so petal-soft.

Edward threw his head back then, disengaging their lips as he gave a short cry. Bella rested her head on his shoulder, kissing the moist, heated skin on his neck. She looked down, finding that she had been missing the view of Edward's cock sliding in and out of Jasper's mouth. "Jesus, fuck that is so hot," she whispered. Her hand slid from Jasper's hair to trace his lips as he worked Edward over.

When Edward came, Jasper swallowed every drop. Bella watched in rapt fascination as Jasper's tongue worked its way up Edward's length, cleaning him up diligently. "Fuck," she and Edward said at the same time, both of them breathless.

Jasper sat back on his haunches looking smug as he wiped his hand over his mouth. He stood, stretching languidly as he looked down at them. "My work here is done," he said with a satisfactory nod. "For now." Then he turned and strode off toward the kitchen, leaving Edward and Bella laughing behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Y'all should know – I'm a pain in the ass… so thanks to josieswan and barburella for putting up with me and my incessant whining.
> 
> Thoughts? Concerns? Speculations? Thanks for reading. Updates should be every week and a half or so.


	3. Remember How She's The Boss?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry! I'm late. Sigh. Next chapter will be up within less than a week. Promise.
> 
> Disclaimer: If I was Stephenie Meyer I wouldn't be writing at work. I'd be writing FOR work.

Bella had always been something of an enigma to Edward. She was one of the very few people who could get under his skin in the space of seconds. Though he was no manwhore, Edward wasn't unaware of the fact that he could have almost any woman - and some men - that he wanted, yet his beguiling boss was beyond untouchable.

Or she had been until three days before.

Going in to work on Monday, it felt like an entirely different world. "Nothing's changed," Jasper reminded him, glancing over from where he was behind the steering wheel as the drove to work.

"I know," Edward said softly.

They pulled into the parking lot, and Jasper hit him lightly on the shoulder. "For real. Nothing has changed. She's still going to be a bitch."

Edward frowned at his roommate and best friend. "I know, Jasper."

They walked into the building and into elevator in silence. Edward didn't realize that he was self consciously running his hands through his hair until Jasper laughed at him. "Man," Jasper said, shaking his head, "You're like 12 years old, going to school, trying to impress the teacher."

Edward glared, dropping his hands to his side. "My fucking cock impressed the teacher," he muttered out of the corner of his mouth as the elevator opened. Jasper was laughing as he trotted off to his cubicle, leaving Edward to pretend he didn't have one eye roaming, looking for Bella.

Instead of finding her, Mike Newton stepped into Edward's line of site, his blue eyes a little wary as he looked over his shoulders. "FYI, Cullen. Corporate's in the building this week. Something about a surprise visit," he said in a hushed voice before walking to his cubicle, across from Edward's. He looked around again, leaning into the small passageway between their cubes. "Ms. Swan is on a warpath."

As if on cue the door to Bella's office came flying open, and she appeared. For a split second, all Edward could think was about how beautiful she looked. Her pantsuit was white today, and hugged her curves in all the right places, but instead of being in its usual, tight bun, her hair flowed down loose over her shoulders. The knowledge that it was partially his fault - it was his mark on one side of her neck that made the up do an unwise choice - went straight to his groin.

But the look she leveled on him when their eyes met was better than walking in on his grandparents having sex at killing his libido. For one tiny moment, a soft sort of uncertainty flitted through her eyes, but then they narrowed, the ice in them cold enough to make the devil himself chilly. "Cullen!" she said, striding toward them. "Are you trying to look like a complete slob I hired straight off the street? Don't you own a tie, for Chrissakes? Here." She grabbed a small tube of emergency gel that Mike always had on his desk and threw it at Edward. "Fix your ridiculous hair."

She was gone as soon as she'd come, barking orders at the rest of her teams about straightening their desks or taking down that 'completely inappropriate' demotivational poster. Edward grimaced, remembering how Mike had been nervous when he put it up several weeks before. Back then Bella had looked at it and smirked before walking on without saying a word.

Mike shook his head as they both watched her walk away. "She's a real piece of work." He reached into the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out a tie that would match Edward's business casual outfit. Edward made a noncommittal noise in response to Mike's comment and thanked the other man for the tie. He turned back to his desk simultaneously grumbling to himself on the ridiculousness of even a business casual work environment when they weren't a customer facing business and feeling an inkling of concern for the obvious stress Bella was under.

**It's not just corporate. It's the brothers themselves.**

Edward blinked at Jasper's instant message, sent via the in-house chat system. No wonder Bella was stressed. The Scarpinato Brothers were the Italian owners of Volturi Inc - so named for the name of the city they lived in, and usually never left, Volterra.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before three men in extremely spendy, Italian suits were spotted walking the hallways with the managers. Two he recognized. He'd seen their picture in the lobby. Aro and Caius Scarpinato were speaking to Bella and stood beside another, younger man.

**Meet the brother-in-law, Marcus Betaluci. Rumor is he's staying long term.**

There was no doubting that Jasper was the more charismatic of the two of them. At least, that's how Edward figured he got all the office gossip so quickly. Either way, it was damn helpful on occasion.

Edward leaned far back in his chair, watching Bella with the suits as surreptitiously as possible. He was ogling. He knew it. Part of him was thinking about the bullshit worries that came with a change in management, but most of him was remembering what she looked like, flushed and moaning beneath him.

"Dig the Queen Bitch's new do."

Jerking with surprise, Edward turned slightly in his seat to see Bree Tanner standing near him, a coffee cup in her hand and her narrowed, scathingly knowing eyes on Bella. "What about it?" he asked, keeping his voice quietly unassuming.

Bree turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "How long have I worked here and she's never worn her hair out of that school marm's bun."

"A woman changing her hairstyle is hardly worth noticing," Edward responded with a shrug. He kept up a cool exterior but on the inside his stomach was beginning to twist.

"That woman has never changed her hairstyle at all, so what's different about today?" Bree returned. She snickered. "It's obvious, Edward," she said condescendingly.

His throat constricted. "What's obvious?"

"She's trying to catch someone's attention." Bree's eyes flicked to the three men in crisp, expensive suits that were making their way down the hallway to where Bella stood.

A thousand defenses gathered on the tip of Edward's tongue, and he had to swallow each one back. Guilt twisted in his gut, making him feel physically ill. A part of him had thought Bella was overly paranoid at the prospect of someone finding out about her choices outside of work. What business was it of theirs? What would it possibly matter?

It took only a few words from Bree to make him realize it mattered. A lot.

Edward had always appreciated the additional pressure Bella was under, being a woman in their particular company. The only other woman in the company in a position of power was Jane Scarpinato, and she was related to the owners of the company. He'd noticed that Bella's superiors were unnaturally rough on her. He'd heard them question her intentions and her decisions often where other managers got away with murder.

What Edward had never realized was how her underlings viewed her. Everyone knew she was a hard ass, and they resented her strict behavior, but beyond that was a level of judgment that Edward had apparently been oblivious to.

"Trying to catch someone's attention or already caught someone's attention?" Mike contributed, scooting his chair closer to where Bree was standing. They both snickered, watching as Aro put his hand on Bella's arm, leaning in toward her.

Edward's jaw clenched both at Mike and Bree's conversation and at Aro's action. He bit the inside of his cheek in an attempt to stay silent.

It was lucky - or unlucky, depending on how one looked at it - that he had a ton of work to do. His inbox was overflowing. Putting his headphones on, Edward zoned out, shrinking his world to the music in his ears and the keys beneath his fingers.

Just after lunchtime, Bella came through their section with the three big wigs. Edward made nice, shaking hands with Aro - who was entirely too overzealous - Caius - who was scowling for reasons Edward couldn't even begin to fathom, and Marcus - whose grasp was like a cold fish.

They turned then to Mike, and even Aro's look was sour. He cleared his throat, an obviously displeased expression on his face. "I hope that's not reflective of your work ethic," he said, nodding at the demotivational poster that Bella had called Mike on earlier.

Apathy

If we don't take care of the customer, maybe they'll stop bugging us.

"Newton," Bella said between clenched teeth, "I thought I told you that poster was entirely inappropriate."

A wide eyed Mike blinked at her stupidly. "I thought you were kidding."

Even from where he was sitting, Edward could see Bella's cheek twitch in irritation. She told Mike, again, to take the poster down and then moved on to the next set of cubes.

About an hour later, she came back, her heels somehow clicking even on the carpeted floor. "Newton. My office. Now."

Mike looked so pale as he followed Bella back to her office, Edward almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

It was only a few minutes before Mike came flying out of the office, his face bright red and his ice-blue eyes livid. He went to his desk. Slammed a couple of drawers, grabbed his things and was gone in the next minute.

Edward was still staring after him, wondering what the hell had just happened, when a blinking message on his computer caught his eye. He started when he saw that the message was from Bella.

_**Come to my office, please.** _

Edward stared at the message for a too-long moment. Automatically, his entire body coiled with tension. Getting called into Bella's office was never a good thing. Automatically, Edward scanned his memories, wondering what he could have done. Wrong.

He got up, passing Bree who raised a sympathetic eyebrow at him. When he got to Bella's office door he was startled that Jasper was beside him. "She called you too?" he asked in a low voice.

Jasper grimaced and nodded.

Feeling ridiculously nervous, Edward opened the door. Bella sat at her desk, her eyes on her computer as she typed furiously. Even behind the thick-framed glasses she wore, he could tell that her eyebrows were bunched in severe irritation.

"You wanted to see us, Miss Swan?" Jasper asked.

She didn't look up. "Mr. Newton won't be in for the rest of the week. I need you two to divvy up his work load. I don't care who does what as long as it gets done," she said, her voice clipped as she pushed a small stack of paperwork toward them. It looked like a list of clients.

Internally, Edward cursed. "My week is already completely hectic," he said without thinking.

The continuous clickity-clack of the keys stopped abruptly, and Bella leveled an icy stare at him. "Mr. Cullen, I seem to recall we had a discussion about your inability to follow instructions on Friday, didn't we? I thought we cleared this problem up. Mr. Newton has recently found himself lacking a week of pay because he's forgotten how to follow simple instructions – a skill I do believe is taught in kindergarten. If I have to send you home for a week to remember how to follow directions, I will not be happy. Am I making myself very clear?"

"Crystal," Edward responded, keeping his anger controlled behind tight lips.

"Good," Bella said, turning back to her computer. "You're both excused."

Edward didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed the paperwork she'd shoved at them from the edge of her desk and walked out the door as quickly as he could.

"See," Jasper said under his breath as he fell into step beside him. "Nothing's changed."

**~0~**

"I'd like to say that it's been a pleasure to speak with you," Edward said in closing to one of Mike's jerk-off clients. He hung up the phone. "But my mother raised me not to lie," he muttered darkly. He sighed, rubbing his hands over his tired eyes. The vast majority of his working hours were spent doing coding and programming for the company's clients. Edward made it a point to talk to his clients as little as humanly possible. His clients were irritating. That made Mike's clients triply so. Thank God it was finally Friday again...

Edward was distracted from his face-palming with two sharp raps on his cubicle wall. He looked, finding an equally irritated looking Jasper standing there. "Ready to go?"

Perplexed, Edward glanced at the clock on his computer screen. "We have an hour and a half left, man."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Company meeting. Dude, you need to read your damn e-mails."

Groaning – these meetings were so pointless and deliriously dull – Edward reluctantly hauled himself to his feet and joined the rest of the employees heading toward the break area. It was the only place on their floor big enough to hold the entire company.

The meeting droned on about new policies and sales trends. Edward's bored eyes wandered the room. When they stopped on Bella, standing with the other managers at the front of the room, he couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face. Her tight bun had reappeared on Wednesday. Edward found it distracted him more than ever, now that he knew what it was like to kiss her neck. That point, where her neck met her shoulders, was one he'd gladly move into.

A sharp elbow to his side made Edward hiss under his breath. He looked over to find Jasper glaring. The other man pointed to his eyes surreptitiously, his look clearly saying,  _eyes to yourself, Cullen._

After that, Edward tried to look anywhere but her. Luckily, the meeting drew to an end with the inevitable announcement that Marcus Betaluci was to be their new president. Their current president, Bob Banner, would be retiring in a month's time.

"I'd like to encourage an open door policy among not only the management but between departments as well," Mr. Betaluci was saying. Though he obviously meant for his voice to be pleasant, the fact that his face was entirely apathetic made his words oddly unnerving. "But, I want you to feel as if you are able to reach out to all the management with any work-related issue at any time. To that end, you will find that the manager's numbers, as well as my own cell number, have been added to the company directory. Please. Never hesitate to contact us."

The only good thing about that meeting was that there were only 10 minutes left to run out the clock when they got back to their desks. Edward spent the time making sure all of his projects were saved before he went to meet Jasper.

"Jesus Christ. That week sucked," Edward grumbled as they got home. He slumped on the couch. When he didn't get a response, Edward opened one eye to see what Jasper was up to. The other man was smirking at his phone with a mischievous grin lighting his face. "What the hell are you up to?" Edward asked.

"Oh, nothing," the blond man answered, his voice just reeking of innocence like cheap perfume smells like real flowers.

Edward hauled himself to his feet and looked over Jasper's shoulder. He grimaced. "Jasper, no. If she wanted us to have her phone number, she'd have given it to us."

"Come on, Edward. The managers are always accessible to us," he mimicked Marcus's words from earlier. Completely ignoring the other man's protests, he tapped out a message on his phone. "Besides, if we're stressed out, can you imagine what she feels like?" He chuckled. "We'd be doing her a favor."

"This is a bad idea," Edward protested.

"What's the worst that could happen? If she says no, she says no. End of story. But come on, Edward. You haven't been able to take your eyes off her all week. If you can have her again, why wouldn't you?"

"You didn't see what I saw," Edward argued. "It's unreal. Just the fact that she had her hair down made that bitch, Bree and Newton act up. It's not fair to her."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "She's a big girl. She can decide for herself. In the meantime, if I can hit that again, I'm going to." He raised an eyebrow at his friend. "You feel free to stay in your room. I'm sure I can take care of her all by myself."

The look in Jasper's eyes - the knowledge of what he had planned for the three of them - had Edward readjusting a himself. His throat got tight as he remembered Bella's taste and how she felt around him.

He growled, dropping his head into his hands. "Fine. Call her."

Jasper shook the phone. "At least five steps ahead of you, Cullen."

**~0~**

Bella didn't have many thoughts in her head besides getting into a scalding hot bath with a glass of wine and a good book. It had been the week from hell. Tense didn't even begin to describe her state of mind.

Unbidden, memories of long, strong fingers kneading her bare skin came to her. Jasper massaging her back and arms after releasing her from the ropes that bound her wrists together. And Edward. Edward could melt tension with the heat of his kisses.

Bella shook her head, hard, trying to dispel the images and the corresponding heat between her thighs.

They hadn't discussed it, but Bella thought it was an unspoken rule that what had happened between her, Jasper and Edward was a one-time occurrence. As it was, she'd second guessed herself all week long. Was Edward looking at her inappropriately? Was she looking at either of them for a beat too long? Had anyone noticed? It was especially nerve wracking with Marcus's constant presence. Sometimes, his eyes seemed to suggest that he knew more about the interrelationships in the office than she wanted him to see.

But then, she had convinced herself more than once that she was being paranoid.

Bella had just poured herself a little more wine than was absolutely necessary when her phone chimed, alerting her that she had a text message. Strange...

 **Evening, princess**.

Bella glared at the screen and the unfamiliar number. Frowning, she typed back a message.

_**Who is this?** _

The response came quickly.

**I'm the man who's going to make you come so hard, you'd forget my name even if I told you. And there are two of us.**

It was amazing how instantaneously the thrill that ran down her spine traveled through her whole body, a wave of lust making her head spin briefly. Jasper and Edward... it had to be. She tapped her lips, wondering how to respond so as not to give herself away... just in case.

_**Tell me something, what did you say you wanted to do to your evil, devil of a boss?** _

**Infuriating, evil she-devil of a boss. And I said I'd like nothing more than to take a very large paddle to your ass, Bella.**

_Sweet Jesus_ , she thought, embarrassingly turned at the thought. Her brain was turning to mush as the excitement built in her bloodstream. But before she could respond, her phone chimed again.

**However...not tonight. Come over?**

Bella was irritated at herself and how quickly her mind leaped to the mens' basement. Hadn't she just been reflecting how stressful it had been, carrying the paranoia around with her that week?

Again, the phone chimed. This time it was a picture message. Clicking on it, she nearly dropped the phone.

The picture was a crotch shot of two men sitting side by side. They each had one hand wrapped around the other's cock. They were such pretty, pretty cocks.

 _"These cocks are going to give you great pleasure, pretty little Bella,"_ Jasper's voice lilted in her memories _. "Don't you think you should properly thank them with pretty little kisses?"_

She'd been on her guard all week long.

The thought of releasing control made her squirm, and she pressed down on her center just to feel a little pressure right where she wanted it.

The thought of releasing control to Edward and Jasper again made her entire body flush with heat and awareness of her every nerve ending.

She wanted to go back. It was almost a need, the feeling was so powerful.

Bella breathed in deep, trying to think with her brain, but it was no use. It was one thing to have the memories, quite another to have Jasper and Edward beckoning her. It was like someone holding out a warm, deliciously fragrant chocolate chip cookie and she'd sworn off sweets. Her willpower was crumbling to dust quickly.

_Fuck it._

**Give me half an hour.**

There was no text answer, just another picture. She hesitated only a second before she clicked to see it.

She recognized the bed spread from the basement. On top of it was a blind fold, a length of rope, a candle and nipple clamps.

Bella swayed on her feet.

**Give me 15 minutes.**

_**Leave the bun in your hair. And wear your glasses.** _

_**  
** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I know, I know, I know. I'm a horrible, horrible tease. It's a sickness. I did warn you about the whole...plot thing. Besides, that means next chapter starts off with sex. Kinky, kinky sex.
> 
> Tysm to jadedandboring for beta.
> 
> Review and you get a teaser. Because I'm a tease.
> 
> ... come on, let me have fun. It is gonna be a ridiculously smutty fic.


	4. What a Lovely Way To Burn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If I was Stephenie Meyer I wouldn't be writing at work. I'd be writing FOR work.

Before Bella let the boys pull her into their house, she held out one hand. "Ground rule," she said sternly. "You give me a hickey again and not only will this," she gestured between all of them, "be over but I reserve the right to knee the offender in his groin. Twice. Minimum."

Jasper seemed amused. Edward looked contrite. The bronze haired man nodded his acceptance readily, but the blond had other plans. "Compromise. Hickeys are allowable below the neck or otherwise out of view of the general public." He took a step forward, snaking his arm around her waist and pulling her with him into the house. He closed the door, instantly pushing her up against it, his body pinning hers. Bella's protest caught in her throat. "See, sugar, I can't promise to keep my teeth to myself when you taste so damn good." He leaned in so his lips were almost touching her skin. "But I can find other, possibly even more delectable, places to bite."

His breath, hot and heady, on her mouth made her mind swim. In an instant her command of the situation slipped and changed hands. If he'd asked her to that very moment, Bella would have gladly offered her neck for him to suck...or nibble... or bite into like a piece of cake if that's what he wanted. "F-fine," she stuttered. She'd aimed for practiced calm and fallen woefully short of that mark. Three hours ago this man would have mopped the bathroom floor if that's what she told him to do; now, he owned her.

Jasper's lips quirked up in a pleased smirk. He leaned the fraction of an inch closer and kissed her hard, his hands reaching for the cinch of the long coat she wore. He made a pleased sound against her lips before detaching himself from her. "Edward, I do believe this very wicked girl has a surprise for us under this coat of hers." Bella had to try to keep the pleased expression off her face as his hands trailed down her body over the coat. "Long, thick coats in May, hmmm?" He turned to Edward who was standing close behind him. "Guesses?"

Bella's eyes flew from Jasper's lips over to Edward. The way the other man was looking at her, she truly understood the meaning of eyefucking. Though he didn't touch her, his hungry expression invaded her, making her heart race the same as if he'd actually put his hands on her and inside of her. His eyes roamed back up and she felt it like her skin tingled everywhere his eyes had strayed even though she still had a coat on. He looked up at her from under his lashes, and Bella's cheeks felt so hot she must have looked fevered. "You're naked," he accused.

Jasper's eyebrows shot up, and he looked her over again. He tugged once at the cinch of her coat and it fell open, revealing nothing but nude skin beneath. "You wanted me to be quick. Nothing fancy," she said cheekily.

"You are a kinky wench, you know that?" Jasper laughed. "Edward, why don't you unwrap the rest of this package and meet me downstairs?" Shaking his head, Jasper trotted off without waiting for an answer.

Edward didn't have to be told twice. He all but attacked Bella, kissing her hard but somehow still sensually. His hand began at her waist, snaked over the curve of her ass and then down her leg. He tugged on her, a silent command that she readily obeyed as she wrapped one leg up around his hips. "You are. The most. Dangerous creature. I have ever met," he said, his lips kissing and teeth nipping lightly down her throat. Bella threw her head back against the door giving him a wider landscape to work with. "You have no idea what you do to me," his voice against the skin of her neck sent pleasant vibrations through her bloodstream.

Glad that her hands were free - at least for the time being - Bella wasted no time in exploring his body with her fingertips. Especially his hair. Dear God, that hair. She'd spent long minutes in meetings staring at it just wishing she could tousle it. The wayward, all-over shape of it brought to mind instant fantasies of a quickie in her office, her hands gripping the bronze colored stands as he pounded into her. How often had she wondered if he was as freshly fucked as he looked? How often had she wished it was her doing? "I love your hair," she muttered, almost unaware she was saying it.

He lifted his head, his eyes amused. "That's not what you said Monday."

Bella groaned, remembering how on edge she had been not just Monday but all week. "Fuck that chick."

Bucking his hips hard enough against her body that Bella hissed at the sensation of his rough jeans against her exposed sex, Edward put his lips near her ear. "That is the general idea." The rumble of his tone carried with it a promise, and she almost begged him to take her there, against the door.

But Jasper was waiting with whatever he had planned. Edward must have realized this as he sighed lightly in her ear and stepped away, planting her leg gently on the floor as she did so. Bella had to try hard not to whine.

Looking amused, if a little regretful, Edward crossed his arms, watching her. "Take the coat off," he said, his tone quiet but still commanding.

Bella's heart began to flutter again. It was one thing to be undressed, quite another to bare one's self in front of someone. She didn't quite understand why one twisted her stomach so much more - though not entirely unpleasantly - but the butterflies were impossible to ignore. She breathed in, knowing her excitement and embarrassment was written in the blush of her cheeks. She raised her hands to her shoulders, and slid the coat off, letting it puddle at her feet.

Again his eyes swept over her, as titillating and hungry as his fingers had been only moments before. "Shoes too," he said, and she stepped out of her shoes. He said nothing then, but extended his hand. Tentatively, she put her hand in his.

Edward tugged her forward so she was standing in front of him. Putting two fingers beneath her chin, he tilted her head up, leaning down to kiss her again. His tongue slid along hers, his soft moan against her mouth making her want to melt against him. His fingers slid along the edge of her jaw, down her hairline, and then up to to the tightly coiled bun. Before she knew it, his deft fingers had plucked the bobby pins that held it in place right out. She squealed into his mouth.

"Hey!" she protested, breaking their kiss. "Jasper told me to leave it up."

He grinned. "He told you that because I asked him to." As he spoke he raked his fingers through her hair, brushing it out.

"Is it you who asked for the glasses too? What, you have some sort of librarian fantasy, Cullen?" she teased.

Putting one arm around her waist, Edward drew her forward toward the basement. He leaned in, his nose nuzzling her hair near her ear. "Every guy and the vast majority of girls have a librarian fantasy, Bella." He pulled her closer against him. "Sometimes I'm quite sure you do it on purpose."

Before she had to answer that accusation, they reached the bottom of the stairs. Jasper was laying on the bed, shirtless, twirling a slim, red candle between his fingers. On the night stand were several other candles, their flames flickering in the dim room. Jasper set the candle he held down on the nightstand and went to where they stood.

He took Bella's hand and pulled her away from Edward. "Strip," he commanded the other man without so much as a second glance. He led Bella to the middle of the room and stepped away from her, looking her up and down like a painter observed a canvas, wondering what he might turn it into before the night was over.

Hearing the rustle of Edward taking off his clothes, Bella started to turn her head, but Jasper snapped at her. "Eyes here," he said, pointing at his eyes with one hand.

Again the tone of his voice had her desperate to please and obey him. She stilled instantly, looking at him.

"Hands on your head," Jasper commanded. Adding, "Stick those pretty tits of yours out for me," he smiled as she quickly did as he asked, nodding his approval. "Stay still." He began to walk in a slow, slow circle around her. Bella's heart sped, and she suddenly felt impossibly more exposed than before.

Jasper circled once. Twice. He had to be fucking with her. It was working. She couldn't tell what he was thinking or what he was about to do. She scarcely breathed, waiting as she was for his next command or for him to step closer. Anything.

Finally, as he circled behind her again, she heard him drop to his knees, his hands at her waist. She gasped at the sudden contact and the feel of his lips against her right ass cheek. "This is below the neck, isn't it?" he asked with a chuckle. She didn't have time to answer before his teeth were biting into her. He kissed and sucked hard, his tongue swirling over the skin his mouth covered. She groaned aloud and struggled to keep still as he'd told her, squeezing her eyes shut tightly.

He released her a few moments later, his lips disengaging with a satisfying smack and he laughed lightly. He kissed the mark he'd made gently. "You like it when your minions kiss your ass, don't you Bella?" he asked as he stood. He kept his hands on her waist as he pressed his chest against her back.

"Here?" she answered, her voice thready. "Yes. Not there."

His hands trailed up her body, tracing the line of her arms up to where they were on her head and then back down. "But I don't work for you here, do I?" His hands on her waist again, he spun her suddenly to face him. "Kneel."

Bella dropped carefully to her knees, her hands still on her head. For a moment, her eyes flitted over to where Edward stood, a little behind Jasper. His naked body was magnificent, but she didn't dare let her gaze linger. Sure enough, Jasper's fingers were on her chin then, and he brought her head back to look at him. "Who do you work for, Bella?"

"You," she answered.

He squeezed her chin a little roughly. "You what?"

Her mind scrambled, but she remembered this from the first time... in the club. "You, sir," she corrected.

"Who else?" he asked.

Again Bella's eyes flitted to Edward, though she didn't move her head from Jasper's grasp. His eyes were hooded with lust as he watched the scene before him. "Edward, sir."

"Good girl," he praised. She felt ridiculously pleased at the way he caressed her cheek. "Help me with these jeans."

Keeping her eyes locked on his, Bella dropped her hands to the button of his jeans. She undid them. After a momentary debate, she left his black boxers on, assuming that he would have told her if he wanted them off as well, and slid his jeans down his long legs. When he stepped out of them, he stepped to the side. He circled her again, this time coming to a stop as soon as he was behind her again. Out of the corner of her eye, Bella could see him gesture at Edward.

The other man stepped forward. If Bella had been paying attention, she would have noticed that Edward passed Jasper a strip of cloth. As it was, she was distracted by the sight in front of her. Edward's thick cock was only inches from her face, and she was desperately tempted to lick it. Such a pretty cock, engorged as it was and straining for her.

She jumped when her vision was obscured by cool, soft silk. Her mouth fell open as her breath stuttered.

"How do you feel about hot wax?" Jasper asked, his hand on her elbow guiding her to her feet. "On your body I mean."

"Um," she stammered, her mind trying to grasp what he was talking about. "Never had the pleasure," she managed. The thought was somewhat frightening to be entirely honest, but there was excitement in that.

She heard footsteps retreating, and since she knew it was Jasper who still held her arm, she knew it had to have been Edward who walked away. He was back in just a moment though. It was maddening hearing movement all around her and being unable to discern what was going on.

She didn't have time to dwell before Jasper was pulling her arm away from her body. His hand formed a manacle around her wrist as he held her arm steady. Bella felt the heat from the flame an instant before pain seared her flesh just below where Jasper held her. She cried out, yanking her hand away from him as the heat seemed to radiate around the spot. She was about to scream that he'd burned her but the pain was already fading. The throbbing between her legs, however, was increasing.

Jasper took her hand in both of his. He must have handed the candle to Edward. "The wax isn't hot enough to burn you. This is a candle made for exactly this kind of play," he explained gently. "You trust us right? You know we wouldn't hurt you."

Bella breathed in deeply, trying to catch her breath. "I trust you."

"Good," Jasper murmured, pressing a pleased kiss to the side of her neck.

They were on either side of her then and Bella held their hands, letting them lead her. Excitement made her heart flutter when she felt the edge of the bed. Both of the men helped guide her to the center before Jasper ordered her to lay down. The bed dipped as one of them knelt by her head and the other down by her feet.

Long fingers wrapped, one at a time, around her right ankle while another set of hands trailed from her torso to her wrists. Her breathing quickened at the light sensations, and she tried to guess which of them was where. She was distracted from her thoughts when she felt a cool strip of soft leather being wrapped and secured around her ankle, then another around her wrist. The shackles at the bedposts, she realized. Sure enough, they men switched sides, spreading her arms and legs wide.

When they were done she was completely spread-eagle before them. Her body trembled slightly, and Bella was utterly aware of how entirely vulnerable she was. Her excitement was lined around the edges with a mounting fear, making her inexplicably eager for whatever they had planned. She tugged at her bonds experimentally. They were quite snug, though the leather did not bite into her skin uncomfortably.

Their weight disappeared from the bed, and Bella bit her lip to keep in the whine that threatened to tumble out of her mouth. The only thing she could hear was her own heavy breathing. They had to be somewhere, but they were being quiet. She whimpered quietly, her entire body anxious to be touched.

There was a low chuckle. Jasper. "Eager are we?"

Bella swore she could feel the heat of his hand hover above the skin of her belly. She arched up, craving tactile sensation. "Yes," she said breathlessly. "Please."

She heard the sound of footsteps and guessed that they were both walking around the bed, confusing her deliberately. She gasped when one of them skimmed the pad of a single finger over her belly, the sensation making her want to rub her legs together just to relieve the coiled tight tension at her center. When one of them tickled her soles, she jerked her foot in a useless gesture as her ties held her firm. She grunted when one of them tweaked her left nipple quickly.

They played with her like this for several minutes, teasing and lightly pinching her skin on various portions of her body. "Please," she begged again. "Fuck. Please. Please." She didn't even know what she was begging for. All she knew was that she was going out of her mind with their tiny touches, and they weren't saying a word.

Finally, fucking finally, one of them got on the bed, kneeling between her legs. She held her breath, biting down so hard on her lip that she was surprised she didn't draw blood. A drip, drop, drip on her stomach made her suck in a huge breath of air, but these drops didn't burn. No, they were almost cold.

"Oil," Edward's voice explained as his fingers began to rub. She felt more drops along her arms and then Jasper's fingers were also working along her skin. "It'll help get the wax off you."

"Oh, God," Bella groaned. As they rubbed the oil onto her, they also kneaded her muscles, working out all the knots and kinks that had developed over the course of a stressful weak. Jasper's fingers were magic on her shoulders, and whatever oil they used was lightly scented. They were very thorough, and by the time the two men were through, Bella's body was pliant... and slick.

Then Edward's lips appeared at her right ankle, pressing a slightly moist kiss there. Before she had time to register that sensation, Bella became aware of an unnatural warmth hovering above the skin of her belly. She was trembling, fear and anticipation sending tremors through her body.

Without her sight, Bella's sense of touch was heightened. It felt as if every inch of her was covered in gooseflesh, her nerves already hyper aware , so when the first drop of wax fell, splashing just above her bellybutton, she wailed wordlessly. As quickly as the sound was drawn out of her, uncontrolled and primal, Bella sucked in her breath, quickly regaining control of her voice. Another drop landed, then another, on random points of her torso. Each drop sent a wave of exquisite agony straight through to her core. Each time the wax hit her skin, there was a drawn out moment of intense, scalding pain followed by a radiating pleasure that began at her center and seemed to spread down to her toes and up to her fingers. Before she could ride out one wave, calming her system, another drop would fall, keeping her on a constant edge between unbearable torment and complete ecstasy but sending her over neither edge.

The noises that came out her mouth were entirely wild, guttural sounds. Under each attack, her body bucked and arched, straining away from the fire or begging for more, she couldn't quite tell.

In stark contrast, Edward's lips, appearing at her knee or the inside of her thighs or wherever he damn well pleased, added another element to the range of tactile sensation her body was experiencing. His touches were gentle – mere brushes of his skin against hers. It was a different type of excitement and a wholly different pleasure. Bella's thoughts were frenzied, her words tangling and twisting as she tried to process what her body was capable of feeling. If she was saying anything, she was completely unaware. Whatever it was, she wasn't saying no because neither man stopped, and she thanked any available god for that.

There were spots and splashes of pure heat sprinkled from just above her bellybutton, climbing up her torso to the undersides of her breasts. Bella writhed, and if her hands weren't bound she would have tried to wipe away the wax because for moment after endless moment, she thought she couldn't take it. But because her hands were tied, take it she did, each accumulating drop building on the other until she was positive she would hyperventilate.

Jasper splashed a long line of wax in the valley between her breasts , and Bella's back came off the bed as she screamed. On the heels of that assault, he showed remarkable accuracy by hitting both of her hard nipples. Bella's entire body coiled, her insides clenching as she began to climax. When Edward's mouth closed over her entrance, his tongue lapping inside of her, it took only seconds to coax her to a powerful orgasm.

Edward kept his mouth working, his tongue playing along her violently contracting walls, until she'd ridden her orgasm completely out. He kissed her clit, making Bella groan as she tried to close her legs. The nerve-filled nub was sensitive to the point of pain after all of that.

Save for the rise and fall of her chest, Bella's body was entirely limp. She was a level of exhausted she didn't even know existed up until that point.

"Jesus," she heard Edward mutter, his voice sounding low and gravely.

"That was hot," Jasper agreed.

Bella bit her lip but then she couldn't help but giggle at his choice of words. Once she started, she couldn't seem to stop. With a tug, Jasper pulled the blindfold up so she could see again. Bella blinked, her eyesight momentarily blurry even in the dim light. She turned her head, trying to focus on Jasper. He was kneeling at the side of the bed, his eyebrow raised as she tittered. His expression made her burst out laughing. "You think that's funny, do you?" he asked, entirely amused.

Breathless because of her laughing fit and … everything else, Bella just nodded. Chuckling, Jasper released her left wrist from its binding, and Bella wasted no time. She wrapped her free hand around the back of his neck, pulling his head down to hers. Jasper grunted into her mouth as she kissed him hard and thoroughly.

"Hey, me next," Edward said playfully. Bella looked over to see that he was setting a bowl of ice on the nightstand – he must have run to the kitchen while she was busy with Jasper. He climbed onto the bed, lying along side of her. She readjusted herself, turning to put her hand at the back of his head. Her kiss with him was lingering and sensual, her fingers stroking locks of his hair. When Jasper reached over to release her other wrist, Bella wrapped both of her arms around Edward, thrilling at his kiss.

They parted, both smiling. Bella's soft look became curious, and she lay back, putting one hand at the back of each of their heads. She pushed them gently together. Getting the idea, Edward and Jasper came together over her for a kiss of their own. " _That's_  hot," Bella commented, watching their mouths move. She giggled. They grinned.

While she petted Jasper's hair, her other hand traveled down Edward's body until she found his hard length. Edward made a mewling noise – the sound of a man whose hard-on was getting painful. He caught her wrist. "Not yet," he warned.

"Why not?" she asked, perplexed.

Jasper and Edward snorted. "Bella," Jasper said, "you're covered in wax."

Reaching over to pick up the bowl of ice, Edward lifted a cube to her lips. "We have to get you all cleaned up," he murmured, tracing the line of her mouth with the ice cube.

Not taking her eyes off his, Bella wrapped her lips around the cube, taking it into her mouth slowly, wantonly. She had to try very hard to keep the smirk off her face when she heard him take a shaky breath and swallow hard.

"You're just a minx, aren't you?" Jasper asked, shaking his head. He snapped at Edward, holding his hand out. Reluctantly, the other man relinquished the ice. "Stay still," the blond man directed her.

Knowing that they had every intention of making her squirm, Bella reached behind her, grabbing a rod of the wrought iron headboard in each hand. She had every intention of obeying their every direction. She was shortly glad that she'd had that foresight as they both chose to start their clean up at her nipples.

They used a cube of ice to circle and stimulate her nipples, coaxing them back into their at attention state before making wider sweeps around her breast. When the wax on and around her breasts was completely cooled and solid, they peeled it carefully from her skin, exposing pinked, tender flesh.

Edward and Jasper continued this way, working down the length of her body while Bella gasped and wiggled at the sensation of the ice over previously heated skin. Fire and ice, she thought, and she would have laughed again if she wasn't so entirely turned on. They managed to get her worked up into a tizzy all over again despite the body-rocking orgasm she'd had not twenty minutes before.

When Jasper's hand brushed over her sex, Bella couldn't help but buck up against his hand. She was desperate for some sort of friction or pressure or… Jesus fucking Christ, one of their perfect, thick cocks driving deep inside of her.

"What do you want, princess?" Jasper asked, teasing her as he ran a single finger over her slit.

Bella whimpered. "Fuck me. God, please I need you." Her eyes darted between both men, want making them a dark, almost black color.

"I want her," Edward said suddenly, his voice rough and scratchy with his need. "I'm not above begging.

Jasper's hard-on strained, tenting his boxers. He must have been as ready as they both were because he didn't argue. Instead, he moved to release Bella's legs from their bindings. "Roll over," he commanded, and she was quick to obey. "Get on your knees, hands on your head," he barked.

Slightly shaky, Bella pushed herself back into a kneeling position and put her hands on her head as she'd been bidden. She waited, trying to control her breathing as she watched him.

After he'd removed his boxers – releasing his cock to spring out of its confines like a Jack-in-the-box – Jasper went to sit with his back against the headboard in front of her. He reached one hand out, trailing a finger around the edge of her tender breast. "You liked that, didn't you? The wax I mean."

Bella nodded and then chuckled breathlessly. "Hot," she reminded him.

He grinned back and gestured at his lap. "Are you going to thank me properly?"

Needing no more direction than that, Bella leaned forward, dropping her hands to the bed to support herself as she let her tongue begin to lick his length. When she took his tip in her mouth, sucking gently, Jasper's hand twisted in her hair. "Fuck, that's good," he hissed, urging her to a faster pace.

With her ass in the air as it was, Bella should not have been surprised when she felt Edward's hands on her hips. Still, she hummed her shock, glad that she'd wrapped her lips around her teeth as she started. It could have been bad, but instead, Jasper moaned at the vibration of her voice against his cock.

As she worked Jasper with her mouth, Edward used his hands to guide her legs further apart. His hands back at her hips, he took her from behind, burying himself inside of her in one deep thrust. He paused for a second and then began to move, pulling out slightly and then thrusting hard into her.

Bella's moans as Edward slammed into her again and again reverberated against Jasper's cock as inch by inch of him disappeared into her mouth. She was filled from both ends – Edward satisfying her with his width while Jasper's length touched the back of her throat. Both men cursed in unison, and Jasper gathered her hair into a ponytail, holding it like a reign as he moved her head to the pace he needed. Edward was saying dirty, pretty things about how tight and perfect and, "Jesus, Bella. Fuck," she was.

With her hand caressing his balls and her hot mouth working him expertly, Bella brought Jasper to orgasm first. She swallowed every drop, licking him clean before she buried her head in her hands.

Edward's fingers dug into her hips as his tempo increased. "Edward," she moaned, gyrating her hips as she met his thrusts. "Edward. Oh!" Her words cut off as Jasper's fingers found her nipples and he squeezed. Hard. For the second time that night, Bella screamed out her orgasm, Edward's answering shout telling her that she'd pulled him after her.

The moment their cries dissipated, the room was strangely quiet save from three separate, panting breaths. Edward slid out of her, tugging her upright as he did. He swept the hair off one shoulder, kissing her neck slowly and tenderly as their breathing evened out.

Bella gave a breathless laugh. "I think my legs are asleep."

Both the men smiled, and Jasper lay down and scooted over so she could lie down beside him. Resting her head on his shoulder, Bella carefully stretched her leg, smiling at Edward when he took her foot in his hands and began to massage it gently. "Tingles," she said, scrunching her nose. Sleepily, she settled into the crook of Jasper's arm. "I'm so sticky." She yawned.

"You want to take a shower?" Edward asked, amused and endeared at the sight of her deceivingly innocent expression. Her eyelids were drooping.

Bella shook her head lightly. "You fuckers wear me out," she snarked. Another yawn. "And it's been a long week. And I think my bones have turned to jello."

"Excuses, excuses," Jasper admonished. But then he yawned too. "Come on. Under the covers with you." They rearranged themselves, Jasper standing long enough to let Bella crawl under the covers. As soon as he laid down again, she cuddled up against him, her head tucked under his arm. "Do I look like a pillow to you, Swan?"

"Shuttup," she mumbled, her words running together as sleep pulled at her. "You're comfortable."

Both men snickered, and Bella felt Edward's warm body press up against her back. "It's the fatty tissue where your pecs used to be," he said in a teasing voice, addressing Jasper over her head. "You've been slacking on the gym time."

"Be nice," Bella admonished, reaching behind her to find his hand. She pulled his arm over her waist and twined their fingers together.

Edward chuckled softly, kissing the top of her head as he held her. "Yes, ma'am."

Bella drifted to sleep, smiling and content in both of their arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: jadedandboring is made of amazing. Please do me a favor and send positive thoughts in her direction.
> 
> See, I told you there was smut coming. You just have to wade through some pesky plot. Let me know if this is ... steamy enough for you.


	5. Hankering For Some Spankering

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So sorry about the delay. Parenthetical Love Bella insisted on giving birth before I could come play with these three. *tsks* impatient...
> 
> Disclaimer: If I was Stephenie Meyer I wouldn't be writing at work. I'd be writing FOR work.

Bella woke up alone.

It was strange how disappointed and disconcerted she felt. The vast majority of her mornings began alone. Even after her encounters, she typically ended up at home before dawn broke.

It wasn't as if she was some naive virgin who thought cuddling was a post-requisite to sex. Still, it had been nice to wake in Edward's arms the previous weekend. It had been a first. But then, these boys were claiming many of her firsts.

Sighing and blinking in the soft light, Bella stretched languorously, taking up as much of the bed as she pleased since Edward and Jasper weren't there. Her body sang with a delicious ache. Obviously, she enjoyed a certain amount of pain with her pleasure, but this ache was altogether different. It was a reminder of how tightly her body had coiled in anticipation and building ecstasy. The skin of her belly and breasts was still tender, adding a tactile thrill that made her smile as the blankets brushed her.

But it had to be daytime now, and again the morning hours brought with it a breath of reality. Bella frowned, remembering how she'd rushed out of her house in nothing but her heels and a trench coat, both of which were upstairs the last time she'd seen them. She rolled her head on the pillow, popping the muscles of her neck and trying to decide what to do. She could go upstairs wrapped in the sheets, she supposed.

A noise on the stairs drew her attention to Edward as he descended. Finding her eyes on him, he smiled. It was the kind of smile that made her feel warm, despite the chill in the room. Her stomach twisted slightly, and Bella wondered if it was just hunger. But no, she had to admit that Edward looking at her like that drew a reaction from her body.

He sat on the edge of the bed, watching her with an easy expression as she sat up, shyly drawing the sheets up with her. He set whatever it was he held in his arms on the bed and slowly stroked her cheek with the back of his knuckles. "Good morning."

His breath was minty fresh, and he had obviously showered; he smelled so delicious that Bella had to fight the urge to bury her nose at his neck. "Hi," she said on a breath, wondering at the different sides of her this man could find. There was the woman who was his boss - and Edward was really was an infuriating employee. She was a hard boss, she knew that, but Edward had pulled the bitch-harpy out of her on more than one occasion. There was the woman she was when she was at his and Jasper's mercy. In addition to the rough sex she craved as stress relief, with Edward and Jasper she'd been able to truly let go of control. She trusted them entirely with her body, and was able to give herself completely to the physical limits of pleasure they pushed her to.

Then there was the woman she was right at that moment. This was the shy school girl that she thought she'd buried forever. This was the girl who didn't know the power of her own beauty and femininity. Edward had an altogether different power over her that she didn't know how to explain. It was at once warm - like comfort and home - and nervewracking. She reveled in his touch in a way that had nothing to do with sexuality.

Oblivious to her thoughts, Edward rested something on her covered knees. She looked down, away from the intensity of his eyes, to see that he'd brought her a folded white robe. "Take your time," he said. "When you're ready, we'll be upstairs."

He hesitated for a moment before leaning forward and pressing a soft, gentle kiss against her lips. Then he smiled again and was back up the stairs before she could think of anything else to say.

When he was gone, whatever spell had come over Bella was broken. Again she stretched, grimacing at how sticky and gross she felt. It was almost a shame to slide into the clean robe with her soiled body, but the house was slightly chilly. She climbed the stairs, rolling her shoulders as she stepped into the kitchen.

The house was lit up brighter than she'd expected, which meant that it was later than she guessed. Edward and Jasper were at the kitchen table, both shirtless and drinking coffee. It was not a bad thing to wake up to first thing in the morning.

When they saw her both boys grinned. "Look who's decided to join us," Jasper said, his tone teasingly sarcastic.

Edward stood. "It's like someone wore you out. Again," he added.

Bella rolled her eyes at both of them. "Yes, you are all that is male," she said dryly, stroking their egos.

Chuckling, Edward put his arm around her waist as Jasper went to grab something from the kitchen counter that she didn't have time to see before she was being pulled toward the second set of stairs. "Come on," Edward beckoned. "We have as surprise for you. I'm sure you'd like a chance to freshen up," he began.

Automatically, Bella started to turn toward his room, but Edward held her firm and turned the other way.

"Jasper has the master bath," Edward explained.

Bella smirked. "This doesn't surprise me."

Snickering, Jasper opened the door to his bathroom. "My lady," he said, gesturing grandly.

Bella gasped as she stepped through the door. It was a very light, open room. Clean and pristinely white, a huge tub was tucked into the corner. It was filled to the brim with water, stream rising invitingly, strewn with bubbles and rose petals. It smelled incredible - lightly floral and extremely relaxing.

While Jasper helped her out of the fluffy bathrobe, Edward proffered a claw clip. Bella twisted her hair up, securing it with the clip as she laughed.

"What's so funny?" Edward asked, amused because she was amused.

"It's just a little surreal," she answered, her cheeks heating with a faint pink blush. "Last night you had me tied to the bedpost. All four of them. Now this?" She stepped into the tub and sighed contentedly as she slipped into the water. The warmth encasing her body was nothing short of incredible.

Edward and Jasper shared a smile, and Edward knelt by the tub, handing her a mimosa. "What can I say? We're romantics at heart."

"Right," Jasper said, his lips quirking up and down as he tried not to laugh. "Romantics who have a way with rope."

Bella giggled as she watched them lay out several bowls from the tray Jasper brought. "Are those  _peeled_  grapes?" Looking at Edward and Jasper's grinning faces, she couldn't help but laugh again. Edward held a grape to her lips, placing it on her tongue when Bella opened her mouth. She chewed the fruit slowly. Grapes – peeled – strawberries dusted with sugar, cubes of cheese and resting almost out of sight, squares of chocolate. Bella's mouth watered. "Not to look a gift horse in the mouth," she said slowly, "but why are you doing this?"

Jasper shrugged. "You had a hard week."

"So?" Bella said, not catching on.

Edward furrowed his eyebrows. "Hasn't anyone ever pampered you for the sake of pampering you?"

"No," Bella admitted quietly after a moment.

"Well, it's what friends do for each other. Last week, Edward had a bad day at work because his boss was riding his ass," Jasper winked at her. "I took him to Underworld to unwind."

"So the week from hell merits a hot bath while being hand fed by two incredibly sexy young slaves?" she asked, drawing a fingernail across their chests.

"Among other things," Jasper answered, watching as her lips closed around a strawberry he held.

Bella chewed, many thoughts wandering through her head. "Do you do this for your... others?" she asked quietly.

Edward seemed strangely shy when he answered. "There haven't been that many others," he said quietly. "And they usually go home before breakfast."

Considering this, Bella was quiet. She sipped her mimosa, watching both the boys as they leaned against the tub, eating the fruit and cheese. She hated how uneasy the daylight made her. At night she seemed to be able to let go and enjoy what they gave her. Now, however, the ever cautious side of her took hold. "Why am I special?"

That question made Jasper laugh and Edward look down at his hands. "Because your mother said so," the blond man snarked.

Bella snorted gently.

"Why are you asking?" Edward's voice was cautious.

"You know why," Bella said softly. When they both looked at her with questioning expressions, she sighed and clarified. "You have to understand the position I'm in. I trust both of you to be discrete now that you've had your fun with my neck - you fucking vampires." They looked rueful, but generally unapologetic. "But I do want to be sure that we're always aware of what page we're on."

Jasper's lips curled upward. "Are you asking if we're pursuing you romantically?"

Blushing furiously again, Bella gestured around them with exasperated movements. "Hello, there are rose petals in my bath. This is a romantic gesture. You said it yourself." She sighed. "Don't be difficult."

Shaking his head, Jasper turned to Edward. "You see, I told you it was too much." He looked back to Bella. "This was all his idea."

Then it was Edward's turn to blush. "I just wanted to do something nice," he defended.

"It is nice," Bella said quickly. "Thank you. Like I said, I just have to be sure." She settled back against the tub and snapped her fingers, grinning at them. "Grape, peasants."

Edward smiled crookedly. "At once, your highness," he murmured, bringing another grape to her lips.

"Mmmm, spoiled for life. Now I'm never going to want grapes unless someone peels them for me," Bella said with a sigh.

"So, you got 20 questions last week. It's our turn now, yes?" Jasper asked.

Bella opened one eye to stare at him warily. "Peasants don't speak."

Sitting up on his knees, Jasper leaned over the edge of the tub. Involuntarily, Bella's eyes went wide and her breath stuttered. She unconsciously cowered away as much as the tub would allow as he brought his face within an inch of hers. "Don't make me come in there, Princess," he growled threateningly.

Instantly, a thrill shot through Bella's body, accumulating at her center. She squirmed, the gentle sloshing of the water against the side of the tub giving away her nervousness. "What do you want to know?" she murmured timidly, put back in a submissive mindset by his intimidating, beguiling presence.

"Your others... how long have you kept them around?" Jasper asked.

Scoffing, Bella shook her head, relaxing again and letting the warm, wonderful smelling water soothe her aches. "I don't do this," she gestured around them. "I don't stick around and ... play with the same people. Besides you two, I've only gone back to the same person once, and that was an... extenuating circumstance."

Edward put both his arms on the side of the tub, resting his head on them as he looked at her. "Extenuating circumstance?"

Bella smacked her wet palm against her forehead. Then she sighed, because she should have known better than to let that slip. "About a year ago... I can't believe I'm admitting this..."

"Look at her blush," Jasper said to Edward, laughing lightly.

"God..." Bella covered her face with her hand.

She felt long fingers wrap around her wrist, and a gentle tug pulled her hand down off her face. "Tell," Edward implored.

Finding that she couldn't deny his request even if she wanted to, Bella started speaking. "So, back maybe a year or so ago, I went home with a guy - Garrett. He was... good. Really good. And I was into what he was doing, so against my better judgement, I let him use a ball gag on me."

Edward and Jasper both made a face. Ball gags were tricky. Hot, but tricky. You had to trust someone with everything to let them gag you. With gags there were no safe words, no way to stop play that was getting beyond comfort.

Bella nodded. "I know. It was stupid. That's definitely what I thought by the end of the night - that I was a world class moron. See, he had me um... tied to a stool - ass out, head down."

It didn't escape her notice that both the boys were squirming slightly. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but smiled because she could see they thought the mental image was sexy - her bound and gagged and ready for them. "So he started spanking me which...I was fine with. More than fine. It was good. But then he started to spank me with a leather paddle. I was really nervous about that. I wasn't at all sure I liked it. I tried to go with the flow but... fuck that thing hurt. Then it  _really_ hurt, and he wasn't stopping. I was freaked out because it felt like he wouldn't ever stop and I was wiggling and  _crying_." The word was obviously a dirty word to her.

"When he did stop, he made me come with his fingers, and I came  _hard_. I didn't know how to deal with  _that_ either. So when he untied me I smacked the hell out of him and ran out the door. I was pretty upset. My ass was  _purple_. But...

"The next day, I was at work, and it was one of those days with endless, pointless meetings."

"You think they're pointless too?" Jasper interrupted, laughing.

Bella gave him a look. "Of course they're pointless, and I have to sit through way more of them than you do so don't even complain."

"And I'll bet sitting on a sore ass made them even longer," Edward said softly, his voice tight and his eyes drawn with what she recognized as anger. Curious. Was he feeling...protective of her?

"It was one of the longest days of my life," Bella admitted. "But the pain of sitting, the wriggling, the feeling that everyone could tell what was going on with me...it drove me insane."

"In the good way?" Jasper asked.

Bella nodded. "I thought I was going to rip my clothes off in the middle of the conference room. Mr. Banner was giving me the evil eye all day. I even um... well, took some alone time during lunch, but it still wasn't enough.

"So after work that day, I drove straight to his place, and I jumped him. Hottest. Sex. Ever." She blushed, looking at them with a bashful expression. "Well, until recently," she admitted.

Jasper elbowed Edward. "Dude. She totally called us hot sex," he stage whispered.

Feeling bratty, Bella splashed them both.

Sputtering, Jasper stood. "Now you've done it, Swan. You've gone and made me angry."

Before she could blink, Bella found herself out of the bath and thrown over Jasper's shoulder. "Jasper!" she exclaimed, her body feeling too slick and slippery, but he held her with a firm, capable grip.

He carried her as far as the bed, depositing her face down on the comforter. Before she could process what was happening, Jasper was smacking her ass with his hand - sharp, quick slaps that were more playful than anything, but they smarted because her skin was wet. Her instinctual reaction was to reach back, covering up with her hands, but in the next instant Edward had grabbed her hands, pinning them with his own to her side by her head.

"See Bella," Jasper explained in a maddeningly calm voice while she yelped and wriggled under his hand, "in this house, even the princess isn't above a good spanking. And really, you only have yourself to blame after that little story."

"Oh, fuck," Bella moaned, feeling that exquisite pressure begin to build between her legs. Her hips bucked against the comforter. Edward let go of her hands so he could pet her hair, leaving Bella free to grip the blanket hard between her fingers.

Jasper stopped spanking her so briskly then, instead rubbing her pink, heated ass with an occasional, random smack. "Spread your legs." At his words she whimpered, feeling her body begin to coil tightly around the heated sensation at her center.

She obeyed him, and Jasper delivered several quick slaps to the inside of her thighs. Bella found herself grinding slightly against the blanket beneath her.

"You like that, don't you," Jasper asked, his hand brushing along the inside of her thigh. She was dying for him to touch her, and he knew right where she wanted him. Bella could tell he was avoiding putting his fingers where she wanted them the most because he would always pull back when she tried to thrust against him. He delivered two hard smacks to each of her ass cheeks, and Bella cried out. "I asked you a question."

"Yes," she panted. "Yes, I like it. Please."

Jasper's hand returned to her inner thighs, wandering slowly upward. Edward's fingers played along her spine, walking up and down, adding a titillating tingle to what Jasper was doing. He alternated between light touches and working his strong fingers against her muscles. The combination of the tender and thrilling touches was making her body almost painfully aware of every nerve ending she possessed.

Bella gasped, her back arching when Jasper suddenly ran his finger down the slit of her ass. Before she could come down from that unexpected sensation, his fingers continued down and up, pressing into her wet, slick center. "Is this what you want, Bella?"

"Yes," she panted, rocking back against his fingers. She whined in protest when he withdrew his fingers, but he only did it long enough to smack the back of her legs.

"Yes, what? he demanded, moving slapping up to her ass at a pace that left her somewhat frantic.

"Ah! Um. Oh! Sir. Yes, sir!" she remembered at last.

"Good girl," he commended.

He flipped her over then, and both of the boys moved, repositioning her and themselves so that Bella was sitting between Edward's spread legs with her back against his chest and Jasper was kneeling in front of her. Bella reached out automatically, wanting to touch Jasper, but Edward grabbed her arms, pinning them back. "No hands," he whispered against her ear, firmly placing each of her palms on the bed.

Bella whimpered, squirming slightly on her tender ass, as Edward used his legs to spread hers. As he did this, he took the claw clip from her hair - it wasn't holding up much at that point anyway - and let it tumble down across his chest. Sweeping it over one shoulder, he began to lightly nibble on her earlobe.

"Look at how wet you are," Jasper chuckled, as he slid two fingers up and down her slit, teasing her.

"Fuck. Please," she moaned, desperately trying to keep her hands where Edward had placed them. She gaped, unintentionally thrusting her chest out when Edward's hands cupped her breasts.

Another chuckle as Jasper let two fingers enter her. He scooted up, so his body was close to hers and she was pinned between the two of them. "You're a deviant little girl, Bella," Jasper said, leaning in closer to her as he began to move his fingers in and out, agonizingly slowly. "Maybe I should take you over my knee more often, hmm? It seems to improve your surly disposition quite a lot."

Her eyes met his, and her mouth opened, as if she was going to protest, but she couldn't deny that the mere thought sent a thrill through her. Her throat closed, and she could only make raw gasping noises, especially as Edward began to nip and lick his way down the side of her neck.

"I want you to know," Jasper continued, "that every time you're a total bitch at work, I'm going to be imagining pushing you over that big desk in your office." His fingers moved faster inside of her, hooking upward to run along her walls. "I'm going to get Edward to hold you down, because I promise you, Bella, I what I did to you today is nothing. I'm going to imagine yanking those fucking anally ironed pants down, and I'm going to think about how I'd turn your pretty little ass candy apple red."

Bella cried out, her hips thrusting forward off the bed. "Fuck," she hissed, ridiculously turned on. She could feel an orgasm of epic proportions on the horizon.

"You kinky bitch," Jasper laughed, kissing her hard on the lips, but only for a second. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? This week, every time you see me smiling, just know that it's because I know you're sitting there in your office with your panties moist because you're thinking of us."

Anything she would have said, if she was even capable of speech at that point, was swallowed as he kissed her again. With his fingers inside of her and Edward's hands working over her breasts, she was going to come sooner rather than later.

Jasper backed away from her, removing his fingers from her pussy and bringing them up before her face. She could smell the thick, heady scent of her own sex and she felt lightheaded at how absolutely feral she was in that moment. "Taste, Bella," Jasper demanded, and her lips parted. She closed them around his fingers, swirling her tongue over his skin. He thrust his fingers forward gently, until she had sucked and licked him clean of her juices.

"Jesus Christ you're so sexy," Edward whispered against her hair. She could feel his hard on becoming more defined and insistent against her back.

Shifting again so he was laying between her spread legs, Jasper tugged on her, making Bella slide slightly down Edward's chest. "Do you want me to use my mouth on you, Bella?" Jasper asked sweetly, almost innocently as he pressed soft kisses to her stomach. "Would you like that?"

"Yes. Yes," she was utterly breathless and desperate.

"Beg," he commanded.

"Please, J- sir. Please use your mouth on me. Make me come. Please," she begged shamelessly, only cutting off because Edward squeezed her nipples between his fingers, making her moan loudly.

And Jasper definitely knew what he was doing with his tongue. He lapped at her, alternating speeds and pressure so that she rode a constantly changing wave. He would stroke her clit with his tongue hard and fast until she was on the verge of screaming his name and then he would switch, leaving her wanting until she didn't think she could stand the ache between her legs. Every time her hands would shoot out, wanting to direct his head exactly where she wanted him, Edward would grab her by the wrists, forcing them down on the bed.

But finally,  _finally_ he brought her to the cusp of orgasm. "I'm going to...I'm going to."

"Come for us," Edward encouraged, his hand snaking down her body to find her clit. He stroked her hard and fast as Jasper's tongue darted in and out of her. Bella let go, her hips bucking against Jasper's face and Edward's hand as she came.

As she came down, Jasper straightened up, going to sit beside Edward against the headboard. Bella rested her head on Edward's shoulder, watching as the bronze-haired man put his hand at the back of Jasper's head, pulling him down. They kissed, and Bella could see Edward's tongue trace a line around his mouth. She realized he was tasting her on the other man's lips and groaned. Just watching them kiss was going to get her all worked up again. Knowing Edward wanted to taste her - again - was going to drive her insane. She wriggled her ass against Edward's hard on, making him groan.

But then, very suddenly, a thought wormed its way into Bella's consciousness. She sat up, smacking her forehead with her palm. "Shit!"

She scrambled forward, off the bed, and looked around frantically. "Shit, shit, shit," she muttered, wrapping her arms self-consciously around herself when she realized she had no clothes to pick up and put on. Suddenly her brilliant idea to arrive here clad only in a trench coat seemed more than a little stupid.

"What's a matter? What's going on?" Edward and Jasper were both up, and the scene would have been comical in other situations. Genuine concern colored their expressions but they were both sporting impressive hard ons that strained at their sweat pants.

"I um... " she cut off, darting into the bathroom when she remembered the fluffy robe they'd provided for her. She threw it on, quickly tightening the sash. "I completely forgot. There's a manager's meeting with Marcus today. What the fuck time is it?"

"Um, it's almost noon," Edward murmured softly.

"Oh, fuck. Fuck. Fuck," Bella cursed, breezing past them. She was going to be late. There wasn't any getting around that. She needed to get home to change.

"Bella, slow down a second," Jasper said. "Here," he went to his dresser and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a plain, blue shirt. "At least put these on."

"Thanks," she said, hurriedly pulling the pants on. She looked up at them apologetically. "I don't mean to leave you... hanging," she said, her words sincere as her eyes roamed over them.

"Don't worry about it. Work first," Edward said, smiling at her in understanding.

Jasper put an arm around Edward's waist, pulling the other man hard against him. "Besides, that's the benefit of having a live in fuck buddy. Don't you worry, Bella. I'll wear his ass out good and proper for you."

Bella stopped short, her mouth going dry. "Fuck. You don't play fair at all, do you Whitlock?" she muttered under her breath.

Both Jasper and Edward laughed. "Nope!" Jasper proclaimed smugly. He didn't even try to look ashamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Jadedandboring and barburella are amazing. Jsyk.
> 
> Again, sorry about the delay. It shouldn't happen again. Parenthetical Love is almost over and I actually have a nice surplus of In the Mirror chapters in the bank so I'll be able to concentrate on this and deliver a chapter once a week. That's the plan anyway.
> 
> Just so you know, I participated in the Jukebox contest. Head over there if you want to read some nice oneshots. One of 'em is mine! Do vote if you read. You can find the profile under my favorite authors.
> 
> Soooooo... Talk to me, people. Please.


	6. Jasper is a Brat - Why Doesn't Someone Spank Him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: SM I am not, but I like S AND M...

"Well, Miss Swan. How lovely of you to join us," Marcus Betaluci commented, his face expressionless as he watched Bella take her seat.

"I apologize for my tardiness," Bella said quickly, entirely too aware of how she must have looked. Her hair, back in its usual bun, was obviously wet. She was just over an hour late, but she'd had to take a shower.

"Don't make a habit of it," Marcus said dismissively. "As it happens, you didn't miss much. We had lunch and now we're ready to get down to business."

Marcus had requested this weekend meeting because he was looking to do some restructuring to their teams and how business was handled. He'd promised his managers that the weekend meeting would not be typical, but he did want to get a handle on a few things without the regular employees around. "Less opportunity to start unnecessary gossip," he'd claimed.

The meeting wore on, Marcus talking through some company-wide changes while Bella struggled to concentrate. Her mind kept wandering to her two favorite employees. She wondered where she would be if she didn't have to be in this meeting. Maybe hanging from the ceiling again…

After a couple hours, Marcus called a break. Famished, Bella made her way to the break room and, more importantly, the vending machines. She rummaged through her purse and discovered her phone's message light was flashing. Furrowing her brow, she clicked into her text messages.

Instantly, her mouth went dry when she saw the picture that Jasper had sent.  _Holy God_.

It was a picture of Edward. He was kneeling with his back to the bed in the basement. His ankles were held apart by a spreader bar so his cock was on prominent display, and he was obviously rock hard. He was nude, his hands tied at the wrist high above his head to the bedpost. There was a white gag in his mouth, and he was looking at the camera from underneath his eyelashes - his eyes full of 'I'm at your mercy, what will you do with me?'

Like a dare.

"Bella?" Marcus's voice startled her, and Bella jumped, promptly dropping her phone, face up, on the linoleum floor. She panicked when Marcus bent to retrieve it. She tried to be quicker, only to end up bumping foreheads with him.

They both backed away from each other, Bella with her hand wrapped in a death grip around her phone and Marcus with a hand at his forehead. "I'm sorry," she said quickly.

Marcus shook his head, wincing. "Quite all right. I was just trying to get to the vending machine."

Bella realized belatedly that she'd been leaning on the vending machine's button area. She jumped away from it as if it was on fire. "I'm sorry," she said again.

Her boss gave her a peculiar look, shaking his head. "The meeting is almost over," he said flatly. "Then I suggest you go home and get some sleep."

Flushing red, Bella just nodded and walked out, suddenly not at all hungry. Out in the hallway, she texted furiously.

_**Are you trying to kill me?** _

The response came back almost immediately.

**Oh, so you are there. See something you like?**

_**I'm working! As it is, I was late and I'm pretty sure I had the words Freshly Fucked tattooed across my forehead.** _ __

**Not possible. No one fucked you today. See, you have nothing to worry about.**

Bella sighed, smiling in spite of herself. Her phone buzzed again and another image came up. She clenched her thighs at the sight.

It was Edward again. This time he was laying, face down on the bed. His head was turned to the side and his eyes were closed, in pleasure she imagined. The spreader bar kept his ankles apart, and his hands were tied behind his back. His ass was pointed upward. One of Jasper's hands was visible, fingers wrapped around a butt plug that he was obviously moving in and out of Edward's ass.

_**Jesus Christ.** _

**As you can see, we made do. But I didn't want you to miss out just because you had to work. Enjoy.  
**  
Bella bit her lip in anticipation, but just as the next picture came in, Marcus called everyone back into the office.

Her phone vibrated against her leg several times in that short meeting. Bella could only imagine the kinds of pictures they were sending her. She thought of Jasper bending Edward over the bed, holding his head up with a fist full of bronze hair as he pounded away. Edward on his knees... she knew from experience that Edward was fantastic with his mouth.

"Edward Cullen and Jasper Whitlock," Mr. Betaluci said.

Bella's head snapped up. Nerves sparked like a flame held to a puddle of gas. "What?" she said, her voice cracking ridiculously.

Marcus looked up at her, his eyes twitching almost imperceptibly. "Edward Cullen and Jasper Whitlock."

She hadn't had this much time not squirming in her seat since her father found an empty bottle of Jack Daniels out behind their house when she was 17. She cleared her throat. "What about them?" she asked, desperately trying to keep her voice steady.

"Are there any disciplinary problems with them?" Marcus asked.

Bella felt her face growing hot as memories from that morning flooded her consciousness. "Why do you ask?"

Shuffling the papers in front of him, Marcus scratched his chin. "Mike Newton and Bree Tanner have both had recent write-ups."

"They're good employees," Bella said slowly, unsure where he was leading her. "Mike occasionally needs a reminder that he can't test my patience, but he does good work."

"And Miss Tanner?"

"She's young," Bella prefaced. "She has amazing talent and no filter."

Mr. Betaluci steepled his fingers, considering. "So it would come down to a choice between Mr. Cullen or Mr. Whitlock," he said, almost to himself.

"For what, sir?" Bella asked, confused and more than a little nervous.

Marcus was silent for a moment as he thought, then his eyes flicked to her. "Your team needs more than four people, especially if we're going to expand their responsibilities as I've gone over. Therefore, I think it only logical to promote one of them to a lead position."

Bella's throat tightened.

"I'm not decided on this course of action, but it's something that I'm going to need you to give some thought to," her boss continued. "You will have to work very closely with this person, and they have to be able to work well directly under you."

**~0~**

Just how many ways could a person be well and truly fucked in one weekend? Bella found herself perilously close to finding out.

Ignoring the part of herself that was desperate to look at the rest of the images Jasper had sent, Bella did the only thing she could think of. She went to her friend Angela's house.

Angela had two children, two year old Eric and three year old Jessica, named after their high school friends. Around the children, Bella felt a little calmer – removed from the drama of work. They were a reminder that worlds existed outside of her career and the mess she'd accidentally walked right into.

But Angela had always been observant. "Bella, is everything okay?" she asked quietly.

Taking a breath, Bella assessed that question. "Technically?"

"You can talk to me," Angela encouraged unobtrusively.

Bella laughed a nervous chuckle. "I don't know how to say this out loud. It sounds… so bad out loud." Was she really going to tell her preacher's daughter, married with two children friend that she'd slept with not one but two of her employees… at once?

"You can tell me," Angela reiterated. "Or you can tell me to buzz off. But sometimes it helps to talk."

After Angela got over the initial shock over the idea of a threesome – Bella left out all the rope and wax and domination – she was understanding. "I'm not going to judge you on that. You're all three consenting, single adults. I just … I hope you can trust them, Bella."

"Well, I know them pretty well."

Bella explained about them being her employees and how that was fine, she could still treat them the same way at work. It was a little nerve-wracking, but done was done. She couldn't take back the fact she'd slept with them. Either way, she'd proved to herself over the last week that she could still manage them, and the boys in return seemed to have no problem being managed. Nothing there had changed.

But it was easy when they were just two of four employees. If one of them worked with her more directly, that would undoubtedly mean spending plenty of alone time behind closed doors. It was inevitable, since she was female and they were both extremely attractive males, that people would gossip about what went on during those meetings. Gossip she could handle. It was the idea that the gossip, in this case, would have a note of truth to it.

"You're not going to do anything at work, right?" Angela asked.

"Of course not."

"Well, then don't worry about it. People are going to say stupid things, but as long as it doesn't affect how you work it's none of their business. It doesn't matter if it's true."

Bella didn't answer right away. Technically it shouldn't matter that she had a vagina either, but that wasn't reality. The people below her on the totem pole treated her differently because of her gender. And then the higher ups….

Bob Banner, the president of the company before Marcus had arrived, was the driving force that had shaped who she was as a manager. His backhanded comments made it clear that he expected her employees would walk all over her. He'd been buddy-buddy with the other, male managers but treated talking to her like a chore. Whenever he witnessed even the barest hint of camaraderie between her and one of the employees she managed, he would frown, obviously reading into it. If she'd been male he probably wouldn't even have noticed.

So Bella turned icy. She adopted an all business, no nonsense air and called her people to task on even the most minor infractions. She wished she knew a better way, but she was not oblivious to the difference before and after. The barest sign of femininity – like her loose hair earlier that week – brought on a definite change. Why else had Mike not taken her order seriously? And if Bree thought she hadn't seen the smirk, she was gravely mistaken.

"Anyway," Angela continued. "You don't know that your boss is going to make this change. How about you don't worry about it until it happens? Think about them as you would any other employees – because that's all they are at work, right? Whomever deserves it more is who you chose." She shrugged. "It's just sex, right? It's not like you love one of them."

"No," Bella said quickly. "No, of course not."

**~0~**

Bella told herself to delete the text messages without looking at them. Her finger was even hovering over the red x. But...

She couldn't avoid the displays. A glimpse at the tiny images - each more titillating than the last - was all it took to put her in that heated space. Any woman who didn't understand what it was to think with the little head obviously hadn't seen pictures as ridiculously sexy as this. There was no denying that her thoughts became thick, sluggish to sift through, when she was thinking about those men and the things they'd done to her. She clicked on the first photo, tilting her head and gulping.

_Yeah, Bella, you weren't really fooling anyone. You have no pajama bottoms on. Filthy girl._

It should not have come as a surprise that the admonishing voice on her shoulder sounded like Jasper. Bella rubbed her leg together, restless and aware of the antsy feeling that spread through her body. Every inch of her skin longed for some kind of touch. She groaned as she saw the last message in the series.

 **You know we can make you feel good.  
**  
Enticing wasn't the word for it. She was surprised that her body didn't come up and off the bed of its own volition. Why did it have to be them? She'd had a handful of other partners, but none of them had this kind of hold on her. None of them could make her this fevered and feral.

Why was it the two men who offered the most complications for life outside the bedroom?

And if she was being honest with herself...

Well, no. She didn't want to be honest with herself.

She flipped through the photos again, squirming on her bed. Her breath was getting heavier as her imagination kicked into overdrive.

She could be at their door in a little over 10 minutes.

Bella's free hand twisted in the blanket, and she closed her eyes. The chance that she'd have to choose one of them over the other very soon only added to a long list of reasons why their trysts were not a good idea. She needed to stop.

For the third time, she raised her phone back to eye level. The last picture was of both of them - obviously nude and sated by that point. They were lying on the bed with their arms around each other. One of Jasper's arms was extended, holding the phone to take the picture. Their looks were enticing.

Feeling the pressure build between her thighs, Bella threw the phone a small ways away. She closed her eyes, running her hands up her body. She recalled the feeling of being blindfolded - not knowing where their fingers would touch next. Circling her nipple with the pad of a single finger, she remembered Edward's tongue on her breasts and moaned, her back arcing slightly as she let go, finding a space between fantasy and memory.

She remembered the line they'd dragged her along, flirting between agony and ecstasy. Jasper's hands on her body were rough and exciting. Edward was always tender - adding a depth to their interactions that she'd never previously experienced. Remembering their soft kisses that first morning, Bella let her hands travel downward. She slid one finger, then two inside herself, imaging Edward above her - his lips hard on hers and his fingers making her body hum.

Bella found herself imagining all the things they  _hadn't_  done to her yet. She remembered the butt plug from the photo and wondered how it would feel working in and out of her - how  _they_  would feel filling her from both ends.

Tossing her head back on the bed, Bella moved her fingers faster, circling her clit with her other hand.

She replayed Jasper's threat to put her over his knee, knowing that if he ever did she would feel helpless and helplessly turned on. Bella knew, without a doubt, that she would let them do almost anything to her - use any sort of instrument they wanted. They were so careful with her, considerate of her pleasure even as they took their own.

She brought herself to orgasm remembering Edward's lips at her neck and Jasper's mouth on her pussy. Then she lay blinking in the soft light of the bedroom. Her body still ached, not satisfied because she knew exactly what she was missing out on.

_Don't be ridiculous. It's just sex. You'll live._

Bella sighed to herself. Right. She'd live, but it wouldn't be easy. After all, they would be right in front of her five days a week. It was worse than a cheesecake and brownie buffet during a diet.

**~0~**

"What are you doing?" Edward hissed under his breath.

Jasper looked over at Edward with an innocent expression before taking a nonchalant bite of his sandwich. "I don't know what you're talking about."

They were alone in the break room but Edward wasn't taking any chances. He took out his phone and texted Jasper instead.  
 **  
** _ **You looked at Bella.**_

Watching his phone light up, Jasper scoffed lightly. He looked at Edward with an 'are we really doing this?' expression. When Edward glared, the blond man rolled his eyes and picked up his phone.

 **I do have eyes.  
** _ **  
You cannot do that at work.**_ _  
_  
Jasper smirked, not looking at Edward. A minute before, Bella had come in, a phone to her ear. Her eyes had met Jasper's for an instant and the blond man had tilted his head, a sly, lascivious expression spreading slowly across his face. Bella's face had gone scarlett and her words stuttered as she spoke to the other person. She'd turned around and gone from the room without getting what she wanted from the vending machines.

**It's lunchtime. We're all off the clock.**

_**Jasper. It's not fair to her.**_ **  
**  
Frowning at the phone, Jasper looked up at him. "Fine," he mouthed, rolling his eyes again.

Satisfied, Edward returned to spinning his pasta on his fork. He sighed quietly to himself. He sincerely missed the soft, blushing, virile creature she was outside of these walls. Of course, he'd known that there was an expiration date to what was going on between the three of them. He just hadn't expected it to ache as much as it did.

Part of him wanted to believe that it wasn't over yet. After all, it had only been a few days over a week. But after she'd rushed out of their house for that meeting, they hadn't received so much as a text from her. He wondered if the pictures were too much.

He wondered if something had happened at the meeting.

Either way, it shouldn't matter. None of their other encounters had even lasted to a second day - let alone a second weekend. He'd never been disappointed like this before. Why was she different?

Edward kept his thoughts to himself. Jasper obviously wasn't struggling, missing Bella with each day that passed even as she was right in front of them. And Bella was the same Ms. Swan she'd always been: a ball buster who worked them hard. She hadn't so much as looked at them in any other way except the hard, no-nonsense, near-scowl when she told them to do something.

To his surprise, she came striding into the break room again, a determined expression on her face. He had to taper down a smile, wondering if she was trying to prove to them that she could be in the same room, especially in this office, and they couldn't intimidate her. Jasper kept his eyes on his sandwich as he'd promised. Edward tried to follow his example, but as Bella bent slightly to retrieve something from the refrigerator, their eyes met.

For one second the world outside that room vanished. Even Jasper, at his side, vanished. He felt the corners of his mouth quirk up, not in a leer like Jasper. There was nothing predatory or sexual about what he felt in that moment. No, it was in that second that he caught a glimpse of everything she was outside of work. Tentative, almost shy, the tiniest of smiles appeared on her lips.

Then she was gone again.

"What are  _you_ doing?" Jasper asked in a low, amused tone.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Edward mumbled.

Later that night, Edward and Jasper were both in their own rooms. Edward was tapping on his keyboard, not all that into it. He thought about visiting his parents and the baby grand piano he'd left behind. Sometimes he missed the sound of music flowing from his fingertips, filling the vaulted ceilings of the house he'd grown up in.

The doorbell rang then and Edward stood, glad for the distraction. "I got it!" he called.

The sight that greeted him when he opened the door had Edward instantly, painfully hard. "Sweet, merciful Christ," he muttered.

Behind her rimmed glasses, Bella's eyebrows arched in amusement. Wanting to take in all of her, his eyes went to the top of her head. Her hair hung in two braids which were looped and tied on either side of her head with ribbons –  _ribbons_! She held a tootsie pop to her mouth, rolling it across her bottom lip as her tongue darted out to lick it. And she was wearing…

A blazer, a button down white shirt and a pleated, plaid skirt.

"Well, what have we here?"

Edward jumped slightly when he heard Jasper's voice. The other man was standing directly behind him yet Edward hadn't heard him approach. "What can we do for you, little school girl?"

Grinning wickedly for one moment, Bella stepped past them into the house. When the door was closed she looked down demurely. "I'm reporting for detention, sirs," she murmured demurely. "And as it's a school night, you'd better deal with me quickly so we can be in bed on time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Yes, yes, I'm evil. I know. Bla bla bla.
> 
> Ahem.
> 
> Thanks to jadedandboring and baburella for all they do for me, even if barburella made me not use the word leer (which, btw, does NOT have to be creepy tyvm).
> 
> So... what would you like to see the boys to do her? Curiosity begs the question.


	7. Detention - More Fun Than I Remembered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Jeebus there's an assload of smut in this chapter. I better not hear any complaints when it comes time for more plot...
> 
> Disclaimer: SM I am not, but I like S AND M...

Bella was not the kind of person who needed sex constantly to feel satisfied. For the last few years of her life, she'd sought out a sex partner only occasionally. The rest of the time her vibrating companions and her capable fingers did just fine.

But the last week, the ache between her thighs only seemed to grow. No amount of masturbation relieved the tension. In fact, since her imagination invariably wandered to scenarios where Edward and Jasper were touching her, bending her body to their will, Bella was left thinking about them, and what she was missing, all the more.

Then, when Jasper had smirked at her in the break room, she remembered the words he'd growled in her ear about spanking her over the desk in her office. She hadn't been able to shake the image: Edward's hands acting as manacles around her wrists , the pain of Jasper's hand slapping her backside that always sparked a fire right at her center, the doubtlessly intense orgasm they would bring her to after she'd been properly chastised.

The rest of that afternoon, her mind had drifted, playing scenarios of all the ways she wanted them to touch her. By the time she got off work and went home, her body and mind were in something of a tizzy. There was a tug of war waging inside of her. The angel on her shoulder, affecting a superior air, argued that there was no way she  _needed_ them. Everything logical and sane warned her to stay away - and didn't she roll her eyes when people thought with their sex drive? The devil on her shoulder - who acknowledged that these two men had given her greater pleasure than she'd known was possible - pointed out that she couldn't deny that she couldn't concentrate, even at work. If it was affecting her job, wasn't it better to get it over with?

Knowing she was rationalizing, Bella wasn't surprised when she heard Jasper's voice snickering in her head,  _naughty girl_.

And if she was going to give in anyway, she thought, she might as well have looked the part. As Edward had pointed out several weeks before, there were some fantasies that were nearly universal. Judging by the look on his face when he opened the door, Bella figured it was safe to say that he was as turned on by the 'innocent' school girl look as anyone else.

Then she waited, excitement growing in the pit of her stomach as they decided what to do with the bad girl she'd given them.

Clasping his hands behind his back as he circled her, Jasper tsked under his breath. "My, my Miss Swan, adding tardiness to your already long list of transgressions."

Bella's mouth went dry and she swallowed slowly, nerves building as her mind raced. She fought the urge to smile. "I'm sorry, sir," she said instead.

He smirked. "I suspect you might be," he said, delivering a swift, sharp smack to her skirted backside. "Get downstairs." Bella was about to obey when she heard another smack that made her jump. The loud crack surprised her not only because of the volume of the noise, but because it was not her ass that Jasper had smacked.

"Hey! What the fuck?" Edward protested.

Jasper tsked again. "Language, Mr. Cullen. That's going to cost you."

Edward's eyebrows shot up and he opened his mouth to talk back, but then he seemed to catch up to what was going on and bowed his head. "Yes, sir."

Grinning, Jasper nodded his approval. "Good. Now, both of you, downstairs. I want you on your knees, hands on your heads. And no talking!"

A thrill went straight down Bella's spine. She turned and silently headed toward the basement door, wondering what Jasper was cooking up in that devious, blond-haired head of his. Edward followed right behind her.

The minute they set foot on the basement floor, Edward grabbed her by the arm, pushing her up against the wall and kissing her hard. Startled, Bella's hands went up, the surprised noise she made getting muffled between their lips. Then she relaxed into the kiss, her hands falling on his shoulders.

"What-" Bella started when he released her, but she cut herself off as he held a finger to his lips, giving her a stern look. A slow, lopsided grin spread across his face when she obeyed, and he leaned in again, kissing her with a little more intensity. His hands slipped under her skirt, pressing against the bare back of her thighs. What he found - or rather didn't find - made him groan into her mouth.

"Fuck me, you're not wearing panties," he growled lowly.

"Shhh," she whispered against his lips. "Didn't really think I'd be in them for long."

He growled again, his hands cupping her ass as he pulled her roughly against him. "This fucking get-up and your fucking ribbons are killing me, Bella," he whispered, squeezing her ass.

Before she could tease him back they both heard footsteps near the door. "Shit," Edward cursed, scrambling backward. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the center of the room, kneeling and gesturing for her to do the same.

They'd barely gotten in position, with their hands on their heads, when Jasper's footsteps could be heard at the top of the stairs. Knowing what they must look like, Bella imagined that they weren't fooling anyone. She knew her face was flushed. Edward was breathing just as hard as she was. They were fucked.

She tried not to look pleased.

Jasper said nothing to them. He walked right past them to the other side of the room. The sound of something being dragged from the corner of the room drew Bella's attention, and she started to look over her shoulder. "Face forward!" Jasper snapped. Bella obeyed immediately.

The waiting made the building tightness between her legs worse. It took all of Bella's considerable willpower not to squirm. She knew she was wet, and wondered vaguely how embarrassing it would be if she left a puddle of want on the floor beneath her. Thank goodness the floor was carpeted.

Luckily - or perhaps unluckily - she didn't have to wait long. Walking with a maddeningly unhurried pace, Jasper came to stand in front of them. He clasped his hands behind his back, circling the two of them. He stopped in front of Bella, cupping her chin and tilting her face up to look at him. "What were my exact instructions to you just a few minutes ago."

Swallowing hard to speak past the lump in her throat, Bella licked her lips and answered quietly, "Come downstairs, kneel with our hands on our heads."

"And," Jasper prompted, squeezing her chin a little tighter.

"Be quiet," Bella squeaked.

He let go of her chin, petting her hair and her cheek. "Almost," he chuckled. "I believe my exact words were 'no talking'." He let his hand slip away from her as he moved to stand in front of Edward. He similarly tilted Edward's face up. "Now, Mr. Cullen. Tell me. Did you follow my directions? No lying."

"No," Edward said reluctantly.

In a lightning-quick move, Jasper reached out and grabbed Edward by the hair at the back of his head, yanking roughly. Edward grunted. "No what, Cullen?"

"No, sir," Edward said, hissing between clenched teeth.

Out of the corner of her eye, Bella watched as Jasper tugged Edward to his feet by one ear. He clucked his tongue. "And in violation of the dress code, I see."

Edward was fighting a smirk even as he stood, teetering a little, with his hands still on his head. "My skirt was in the dryer."

"Smart ass," Jasper scoffed, reaching out and grabbing the waistline of Edward's jeans. He pulled the bronze-haired man to him. "We'll see how smart you are after I'm done with you." As he spoke, Jasper undid the button of Edward's pants, pulling them down right along with his boxers. Edward's cock sprang free, betraying how very turned on he was by the way Jasper was pushing him around.

There was a shuffling sound as Jasper led Edward, by the ear of course, away. Bella had to remind herself to behave and not face backward. She imagined Edward, dragged away with his pants around his ankles, was both a sexy and amusing sight. But it wasn't too long before Jasper was in front of her, yanking on her ear. Bella winced as she stood, trying to keep her hands on her head.

"Well, well, Miss Swan," Jasper laughed as he hiked up her skirt and found her already bare. "You're quite naughty." He cupped her sex with one hand, rubbing the heel of his palm against her. Bella bit her lip, swallowing a moan. "You're so wet," he said, his voice low and husky. "You like being punished, don't you?"

"Yes, sir," she whispered, finding her voice thin as her head swam with lust.

"Well, I'd hate to disappoint you, Miss Swan," he murmured. He reached up, grabbing her ear again as he turned her around, hauling her over to where Edward stood facing a long, narrow table. Bella had to swallow back a whimper when she saw what rested on the table. It was a ruler – a thick one.

He let her go, walking over to Edward. "Seeing as how your habit of being late kept Mr. Cullen and me waiting, you can wait while I attend to him." He picked up the ruler and moved to Edward's side. "Assume the position," Jasper commanded.

Even from the corner of her eye she could tell Jasper was trying to keep a straight face. Bella couldn't help it. She giggled.

Almost instantly, Jasper's head snapped toward her. "Do you think that's funny, Miss Swan?" he demanded.

"Uh, err," she stumbled. Her initial impulse was to lie, but fuck that. "Yes?"

He smirked. "Fair enough." He turned back to Edward. "Bend over, grab the edge of the table, and stick that fine ass of yours out like you're about to get fucked good and hard."

It was almost imperceptible, but Bella saw Edward's body shudder a second before he complied. He wasn't as unflappable as he was trying to make himself out to be.

Bella fidgeted, watching as Jasper brought the ruler down across Edward's ass. She jumped at the loud crack it made, biting her lip. There was a distinct fear in the pit of her belly, knowing she was next. Besides Garrett's leather paddle, she'd never been spanked by anything but a hand. Next to a cane, nothing looked more painful than a wooden paddle, and that's exactly what the ruler was - a long, wooden paddle.

She had to admit she was fascinated, watching as Edward's lily-white skin turned - stripe by stripe - angry red. Every few strikes Edward would gasp. Occasionally, he let out a muttered, "Fuck!"

"Language, Mr. Cullen," Jasper warned, and the next strike would always be just a little bit harder than the previous, making Edward jump in place.

"Jas- Mr. Whitlock," Edward begged, his voice just slightly whinier than Bella had ever heard it.

In response, Jasper whacked the inside of Edward's legs sharply. "Keep your legs apart. And quit whining," he scolded.

Jasper continued his attack, Edward moaning and yelping and squirming to the sound of wood against bare skin. Bella had to try very hard not to snake her hand down between her legs. She knew this particular image would be a star attraction in her fantasy bank for a long time to come.

Finally, Jasper stopped, putting down the ruler. He petted Edward's hair briefly, giving him a minute to get his breathing under control. Then he helped the other man upright. "Hands behind your back," Jasper commanded. Breathing deeply, Edward obeyed. From her vantage point, Bella could see Edward's ass was welted - red blooming in blotches that held the vague shape of the slim ruler. The center of each nate was a deeper purple. It made her want to rub her ass in sympathy. She found she was clenching, knowing her ass would likely match his in a few minutes time.

"Have you learned your lesson, little boy?" Jasper asked, a grin playing on his lips.

Edward chuffed. "Yes, sir," he responded.

"Good, then you can thank me."

Edward leaned in immediately, tilting his head so he could capture Jasper's lips. The kiss was slow, and Jasper responded in kind, brushing his fingers through Edward's hair gently. The bronze-haired man peppered kisses across Jasper's mouth, and then against his jaw before coming back to his lips. Jasper grabbed the back of his head harder then, deepening the kiss and making Bella feel like it might just be worth the risk to get her groove on while they were busy.

But then Jasper broke the kiss, patting Edward's cheek. "You can thank me properly later. Right now I've got a very bad girl to attend to."

Edward laughed, and dutifully stepped away. It didn't escape Bella's notice, despite the thrill of terror that was dominating her mind, that from where he stood, he would have a perfect view of her punished ass. Fair was fair she supposed, and the voyeuristic aspect of it made the prospect more exciting.

_Jesus, I'm a fucking harlot._

When Jasper turned to her, his blue eyes sparking with a dangerous gleam, Bella had to remind herself that she'd all but asked for this. She knew exactly what she was getting into when she put on this outfit.

"All right then, Miss Swan," Jasper said, striding forward and pulling her to stand at the center of the table. He picked up the ruler and Bella gulped. "You know what to do. Bend over, and get that pretty little ass of yours up in the air."

"Mother of madness," Bella muttered under her breath, but she did as she was told. She started when she felt Jasper's hand on her ass, but he was just rubbing. He lifted the edge of her skirt, tucking it into the waistband so it was out of the way. For some reason, the action made Bella feel even more exposed than if he'd just pulled the thing down.

He was endeavoring to drive her crazy, increasing the anxiety that welled in her chest as he rubbed the ruler over her ass, tapping but not spanking. Bella's breath came in short pants, and she wanted to scream at him to get it over with.

She reconsidered this sentiment only a second later when the ruler lifted from her skin and came down, hard, across the center of her ass. The sting was incredible - like nothing she'd ever felt. It was sharp, almost like a knife cut except more spread out - and obviously she knew her skin wasn't broken.

Before the sting could reach its height and come down, the ruler landed again, this strike just above the first. Bella moaned, shaking her ass as the third strike landed, as if she could get the maddening bite to spread out over more area. But no, each strike brought its own stripe of pain, and Jasper was obviously good at what he was doing; minutes felt like hours as he covered every inch of her backside with slaps of the ruler.

Along with the constant thwack of the ruler, Bella added her own chorus. "Ow! Oh. Ung," she cried between hisses. She knew she was being noisier than Edward had been, but dammit, it fucking  _hurt_.

His next swat caught her right where her ass met the top of her legs, and Bella couldn't help but jump. "Ow! Fuck! You fucking asshole!" She rubbed her aching ass vigorously until Jasper stepped closer to her, his front brushing against her backside. She froze, suddenly remembering her role.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked quietly. His tone was completely even, and she couldn't tell if it would disappoint him if she said yes.

But, inexplicably, when she thought of stopping the scene entirely, her body felt an automatic sense of loss. Despite the pain, and the fact she knew her ass would be bruised and sore for more than just tonight, she wanted him to continue. The ache that flamed across her skin, making her feel like her ass was on fire, was only feeding her growing need. Her answer was that she wanted him to stop the punishment, but only if he was going to bend her back over the desk and fuck her. Hard.

Instead of answering him directly, Bella put her hands back on the desk and bent over again.

"Good girl," Jasper murmured, caressing her hair once before he brought the ruler down across the top of her ass again. "Because, I have to tell you," he punctuated each couple of words with a thwack of the ruler against her bare skin, "I don't enjoy being called an asshole." With the last word, he delivered an especially hard swat lower down on her cheeks. Bella's breath hitched.

Jasper put the ruler down by her head. He leaned over her, making her groan when the rough fabric of his pants brushed her tender skin. "You see," he said against her ear, "we would be done, and you could thank me properly like a good little girl if it wasn't for your childish name calling. That's a very bad habit, Isabella." Bella whimpered before she could stop herself, her nerves twisting and her excitement growing as she wondered what he had planned for her next.

"Edward," Jasper called, standing and taking a step back from her. "Go get that plug you love so much."

Bella's breath caught and her eyes followed Edward across the room. It was a remarkably sexy sight. He was bare from the waist down, his ass red against pale white skin and his cock bouncing as he walked. He opened a drawer, taking out a butt plug that must have been the one from the pictures they sent her the week previous. When he turned back to them, he looked uncertain. "Are you sure?" he asked, looking at her.

Finding that her mouth was dry, Bella just nodded her assent. Her heart was beating so hard that she was surprised the table wasn't shaking. But beyond the fear of the unknown, she was more thrilled than anything else. She shifted her legs, unconsciously widening her stance because despite all the attention her backside was getting, there was a longing at her core that was becoming more and more difficult to ignore.

Edward walked over, handing the plug to Jasper along with a bottle of lube. He went to stand in front of Bella, taking her hands in his. Grateful for the support, Bella squeezed his hands tightly, breathing deeply as she rested her cheek on the tabletop.

Jasper traced a lube-slicked finger over the crack of her ass, making Bella gasp both because her skin was tender and because his soft touch sent a pleasant chill down her spine. He circled her back opening, teasing her for a moment before he slid a finger into her. He was gentle, and Bella moaned. She was startled, though, when she felt the cool metal of the plug.

"Relax," Jasper murmured, cupping her sex with his other hand and stroking his fingers along her folds. Desperate for his touch, Bella shifted back against his hand, making Jasper laugh lightly. He pressed the plug into her slowly, inch by inch.

It was a strange feeling. It wasn't very painful, but there was a different kind of ache as her walls were stretched. She was torn between wanting to expel the foreign object and wanting more. It wasn't entirely uncomfortable as she'd feared.

Of course, when it was fully inside her and Jasper started to spank her ass with sharp, crisp, quick smacks, it was an entirely different story. Bella cried out in surprise, whimpering and wiggling under the onslaught. "Oh, God," she groaned quietly, cringing away from each hit. The plug created a double effect, filling her and stimulating her in ways she'd never been felt. But with each time his hand fell on her, it also sent a sharp sting through her, deeper than the fire across her skin. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, please," she begged before she realized she'd opened her mouth.

Edward released one of her hands so he could stroke the side of her neck. It was a comforting motion that almost made her lose control of the tears that threatened to spill forward.

"What are you sorry for, Isabella?" Jasper demanded.

"Calling you names," she responded, the pain evident in her voice.

He moved his hand down, delivering a flurry of smacks to the backs of her thighs. Bella yelped, twin tears coursing down her cheeks as she struggled not to bolt upright again. She gripped Edward's hand tighter. "I'm sorry," she said plaintively. She writhed, feeling the pain like overlapping crescendos inside of her. She found she could experience the sore ache in increasing levels. Every time Jasper's hand landed, he seemed to find a new place on her ass, or the backs of her legs that wasn't smarting as bad as everywhere else. She knew her ass was dancing under his hand, but she couldn't seem to make herself stop.

As suddenly as he began, Jasper stopped spanking her. Bella gasped, realizing she was breathing very hard. Her backside felt so hot. But there was that incredible paradox she never quite understood. Despite the throb of her tormented rear end, now that Jasper wasn't hitting her anymore, it was a very different throbbing that had her attention.

She wanted him – one of them …both of them – inside of her. Now. She was almost frantic for some kind of release.

When Jasper removed the butt plug, Bella was surprised that she felt disappointed at the loss of contact. Before she could process what that might have meant for her, Jasper's hand was back on her ass, rubbing in slow circles. He whistled appreciatively. "Your ass is hot in more than one way tonight, my dear." Guiding her upright by her arm, Jasper immediately cupped her face. "Shhh, shhh," he murmured, gentle now. Bella didn't realize she was still crying until he wiped away her tears with his thumbs.

Not quite in control of her actions, Bella wrapped her arms around his neck. "Please," she begged again, kissing his lips. She didn't even know what she was asking for.

Smirking, Jasper kissed her soundly once before unwrapping her arms from around him. "Hands behind your back," he demanded, his voice stern again. "No rubbing."

Groaning and pressing her thighs together, Bella obeyed reluctantly. Jasper patted her cheek, obviously pleased. "Good girl." He snapped over her shoulder, pointing at something and giving Edward a silent command. Then his eyes were back on her, his fingers quickly working the buttons of her white shirt. He laughed. "I should have guessed. No bra either, you naughty girl." He leaned forward, catching the lobe of her ear between his teeth. "Just remember what happens to bad girls, Miss Swan," he growled, nibbling her ear.

"Fuck," Bella hissed, wanting to grab his hair between her hands and push him down to his knees.

Instead, Jasper stepped back from her again. His hands moved to her breasts and he tweaked her nipples hard between his fingers. Bella mewled, especially when she saw what Edward had been sent to retrieve.

Nipple clamps.

Holy Jesus – Jasper was trying to make her orgasm by finding out how many ways he could elicit pain from her body. And she would be lying if she said she didn't love every minute of it. Bella felt feral, completely wild with her want.

"Stick your chest out for me." Bella obeyed, and looked straight forward as Jasper affixed first one and then the other nipple with a clamp. She winced as the metal bit into her sensitive skin, stifling a groan. "There," he said, satisfied. "Kneel."

Bella again did as she was told and almost called him back when Jasper walked away from her. But then Edward was there, kneeling in front of her. "No touching. Keep your hands behind your back," Jasper instructed as he sat on the couch.

She was confused until Edward's lips hit her skin; then Bella understood what Jasper's intent was. Edward was kissing and licking her neck, leaving a moist trail where his lips had been. She moaned with the sensations that coursed through her, and her nipples responded, getting harder as he kissed more of her. Edward's lips, and his fingers on her waist, were exceedingly gentle, but the teeth of the clamps brought a more intense pain with every passing second. "Fuck," she hissed, tilting her head back. "God, please," she begged again, completely wanton. "Please, please," she continued, absolutely shameless with her need.

Edward said nothing, his lips and tongue busy with other things. His hands guided her knees further apart, giving him access to her center. "Fuck, you're so wet," he murmured, biting down on her shoulder as his fingers slid inside her. He was not gentle, which was exactly what she needed right then. He drove his fingers in and out of her at a fantastic pace. Bella's caterwauling cries were loud then, echoing off the walls of the basement as he finger-fucked her. When her walls began to contract around him, Edward used his free hand to tug on the chain that hung from the nipple clamps, the sensation sending a slice of sweet agony through her that made her back arc. It was enough to send her screaming into orgasm, her body jolting as she tried to remain upright.

Trembling, Bella sagged forward, falling into Edward's arms. She didn't care about Jasper's instructions then. She wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her forehead against his shoulders.

Edward kissed the top of her head, then, tilting her face up to him, kissed her lips. He pulled back slightly, bringing the fingers of his other hand up to her mouth. Bella wrapped her lips around his fingers, licking along them in long, slow strokes. Edward's breath shuddered, warm against the side of her face as he kissed a line from her cheeks to her ears. "See how good you taste?"

"Mmmmmm," Bella moaned, taking more of him in.

Jasper stood then, alerting them to his presence. They'd all but forgotten he was there. While they were so distracted, he'd also spared them the trouble of helping him undress. Standing with them at his feet, Jasper tugged Edward's hair to get his attention. Reluctantly, Edward removed his fingers from Bella's mouth and they both looked up at him. "You may thank me for chastising you so well," he told them both, gesturing grandly at his erect cock.

Edward and Bella looked at each other, sharing a smile. Bella moved first, kissing her side of Jasper's cock, imitating the tiny kisses she'd seen Edward pepper across his lips earlier. Seeing what she was doing, Edward mimicked her movements, kissing along the other man's cock. Every once in a while their lips brushed and her eyes would flick to his.

"Christ, that's so fricken pretty," Jasper hissed through clenched teeth. He had a hand on each of their heads. "Edward," he said between gasps as they used their tongues on him, "your ass is so mine tonight."

Bella lifted her head, looking up at him. "No. I want you. I mean, I want you both," she blurted before she could lose her nerve. "Now."

Edward's head shot up at the same time Jasper's eyes went wide. The blond man moved both of his hands to cup her face, his thumbs stroking the side of her head. "Bella... have you done that before?"

"No..." she admitted. "But I want to. Tonight. Now." She bit her lip, hating how she felt naive and strangely childish, kneeling at his feet, pleading to have them both inside her at the same time.

Jasper looked at Edward, his mouth forming an 'o' that would have been funny under different circumstances. Then he looked back down at her. "Jesus, woman. You're gonna make me come where I stand, springing that kind of shit on me." With his hand on the back of her head again, he pushed her face back toward his straining cock. "You better get my dick nice and wet then, if you want me to fuck your pretty ass good and proper."

Needing no more prompting than that, Bella set to work. She felt oddly giddy and excited at the prospect of taking both of them at once. As a result, she was quite zealous as she licked the length of Jasper's cock, pausing only to flick her tongue against Edward's upper lip.

When he couldn't take anymore without coming on both their faces, Jasper tugged them both to their feet. Bella stood on wobbly legs, weak from both the body-rocking orgasm she'd had earlier and from being on her knees for so long. Somehow, though, she managed not to stumble as Jasper led them both to the couch.

"You, sit," Jasper commanded, pushing Edward down on the couch. The bronze-haired man hissed when his well-punished bottom hit the seat. He wiggled a bit, trying to find a comfortable position.

"You," Jasper took Bella's hand, leading her in front of him, "straddle," he directed.

Smiling shyly, Bella knelt on the couch with one leg on either side of Edward. He put his hands on her hips, taking the chain of the nipple clamps between his teeth and giving a little tug . Bella moaned, grinding her center against his hard cock. Edward threw his head back against the back of the couch, his fingers digging into her side.

Bella lifted herself off him enough so that she could take him inside of her. There was no need to go slow. She was wet and ready for him. When they were joined she leaned forward, kissing his face with fluttering butterfly kisses.

"See this? This is what I like about you, Bella," Jasper chuckled, tugging loose the ribbons that were already bedraggled in her hair. He grabbed her braids in both hands. "It's so considerate of you to provide reins for this ride."

Bella groaned. "God, you are such a brat."

He dipped his head, nipping along her neck. "Careful, princess. I still have that ruler."

Mewling, Bella clamped her mouth shut. She moved on Edward, slow, small movements, as Jasper lined the head of his cock up with her nether entrance. Leaning his knees on the couch on either side of her, Jasper pushed forward, inching his well-lubed dick into her slowly.

It was a strange and wonderful combination. There was Edward, holding himself dutifully still with his hands moving comfortingly up and down her sides as he filled her from the front; Jasper, pushing himself inside of her slowly, her body opening further to accept him with a deep, not too unpleasant ache; the sensitive skin of her bruised ass, stimulating her nerves every time Jasper's body brushed hers; and, of course, the nipple clamps, ever present and biting into her constantly as the two men kept her nipples hard as rocks.

Fuck, it didn't matter that she'd had a mind-blowing orgasm already. She knew they were going to make her come again.

"Are you okay?" Jasper asked when he was fully inside her.

"Yes. God. Yes," Bella muttered. And she was. She was surrounded on both ends by beautiful boys. Her body was humming - all of her nerves and pleasure points stimulated at once. She'd never felt this close to two people. They knew how to find the limits of her body, bringing her with them to previously unknown heights of pleasure. It helped that she wasn't scared. They could so easily hurt her, or take their pleasure with no concern for her pain, but she trusted them absolutely.

So Bella rocked backward, moving on both of them at once, and they moved with her. Slow at first, they all three moved together. Feeling them both moving inside her, it wasn't long before Bella was comfortable with a quicker pace. She could feel an incredible high coming - the complilation of extremes had brought her to a place where she was more primitive, more feeling than thought. Her body was alive and aware of every movement, completely lost in all her senses. Touch, smell, taste, sound...

And when she opened her eyes, Edward was staring at her. His eyes were almost cloudy, reflecting back the ecstasy she felt. But there was something else there, something that changed the tenor of her frenetic motion. It was a sort of seriousness that made her breath strangle in her throat, and her chest tighten with an emotion she couldn't name.

It was almost too much. She tilted her head forward, capturing his lips as she moved up and down on Edward's cock as Jasper moved in and out of her. Her head was spinning, her body was on fire, and she was free of language, communicating only in breathy moans, pants, and whining noises that caught at the back of her throat.

Her lack of words was fine given that the boys more than made up for it.

"Holy hell. So fucking tight. Sonovabitch."

Jasper.

"Yeah. Fuck this is good. Baby, just like that."

Edward.

Jasper reached around her, releasing her nipples from the clamps so he could take both her breasts in his hands. Bella gasped as blood-flow was restored, making her tits throb for a torturous moment before the pain became manageable again.

Edward had one arm around her waist, the other between them so he could stroke her where they were joined, and swirl his finger around her clit. Jasper squeezed and kneaded her breasts as he thrust into her again and again. For her part, Bella kept her arms braced on the back of the couch, just holding on for dear life, her body pushed and pulled to a frantic, consuming pace.

It was hard to tell which one of them came first. It might have been Jasper - the way he grabbed her, pulling her back against his chest as he released inside of her. Or Edward - his hands anchoring her hips down on his cock as he jerked below her. Just as easily, it could have been her - the wordless scream was pulled from the center of her being, and if she had been at all possessed of herself, she would have been horrified; surely the boys wouldn't appreciate busted eardrums.

Afterward, Bella lay limply on Edward. His shaky hands stroked the clammy skin of her back as they tried to catch their breath. It was only lucky that Jasper balanced most of his weight on his knees or else she would have been crushed between them. As it was, his head was heavy on her shoulder and his breath hot on her ear.

After a few moments, Jasper carefully pulled out of her, stumbling the few steps to sit on the couch beside her and Edward.

As reason and words returned to her, Bella thought she should get off Edward. She imagined that having something as temperately heated as she was draped across him might be uncomfortable. When she went to move, he tightened his arms around her. Instead, she rearranged herself so she was sitting on his lap rather than kneeling over him. She winced when she put pressure on her inflamed backside, but it was legions better than the ache in her knees that was really starting to become apparent.

For long minutes, none of them said anything. In the silence of the moment, with all the lust-laden energy gone, Bella could think all too clearly again. She knew that soon she would have to acknowledge the mistakes she was making continuously by coming back here - by giving this part of herself to these two men. But at that moment, she couldn't bring herself to feel regret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you to the following people who had entirely too much patience with me on this chapter: jadedandboring, barburella, twitina, and addictedtoedwardcullen. And my twitter wife, Makkitotosimew.
> 
> I didn't get to review replies this week. I'm sorry. Life has been nutzoid! I promise it'll be better here. Besides, if y'all are anything like my pre-readers, I expect some of you will have questions. Next week... the return of the PLOT. Dun dun dun.


	8. Who Says I Need to Touch You

"Stay."

Bella groaned. Edward's lips were entirely too convincing. He had to know what he was doing; the way he kissed so lightly across her shoulders but nipped at just the right place on her neck. The devil on her shoulder was rationalizing again. The easiest thing to do on a slippery slope was to tumble all the way to the bottom, enjoying every second of the fall.

But no. "You know I can't," she murmured, tilting her head to catch his wandering lips. "Besides, I'm pretty sure that Marcus would have a heart attack if I walked in with this on," she gestured to her very rumpled outfit.

Watching them from the couch in the living room, Jasper scoffed. He got up and sauntered over to them, smirking "Are you kidding? It would make his day. What else does he have to stare at?"

Bella glared at him. "Right, because I want to be just a piece of ass that he can add to his spank bank."

Instantly, Jasper's face fell and he looked contrite. He stepped up to her, his face serious. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about it before I said it. You know that's not how we see you, right?"

Pursing her lips, Bella considered her words. "The way you looked at me today in the break room wasn't the way you look at someone you respect. It's the way you look at someone you want to fuck." She chuffed, looking down at her feet momentarily. "Of course, showing up here like this probably isn't helping my case any."

"Bella," Jasper said softly, putting his hands on her arms and squeezing. "It was a stupid thing to do."

"You have to know you're more than a piece of ass to us," Edward contributed.

She sighed. "I know." She turned to Jasper and hooked her fingers into the waistband of the sleep pants he'd slipped into. Pulling him toward her, she put on her serious Boss Swan face. "Don't mix this with work. At all."

"Yes, ma'am," Jasper said, trying to keep a straight face. His hands around her, stroking her back, he leaned down for a kiss.

Bella wound an arm around his neck, her mouth opening when his tongue brushed her lower lip. She stretched her free hand out behind her. After a moment, Edward's hand engulfed hers, and she pulled him toward her. Following her silent direction, Edward wrapped his arms around her waist. Sweeping her hair off one shoulder, he returned to nuzzling and nipping her neck.

When she'd kissed Jasper thoroughly, she turned in their arms. Edward was already leaning down as she stood on her tip toes to kiss him. She wrapped her arms around him, sighing because Edward's kisses were unmatched - intense and sexy. It didn't hurt that Jasper's fingers were on her back and his kisses against the side of her head.

It would be so easy to stay.

But she had to go.

Somehow, she did.

**~0~**

"You are such a fucking asshole," Edward grumbled as he walked into the kitchen the next morning.

Looking up from his bowl of cereal, Jasper raised an eyebrow. "Good morning to you too. I would ask if you slept well but it seems like you might have woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

Edward glared at him before fishing through the refrigerator. He pulled out the orange juice, pouring himself a glass. Jasper couldn't help but notice that he was leaning up against the counter instead of sitting. His lips twitched as he fought the smirk that threatened. "What's the matter, Edward? Aren't you going to sit down?"

That earned him another glare and Jasper couldn't help but laugh.

"My ass is purple. You know that right?" Edward groused.

"That was the general idea. And don't pretend you didn't like it. Lying is not an attractive quality, Mr. Cullen," Jasper snarked haughtily.

Edward set his empty glass down with a little more force than was necessary. "I didn't say I didn't enjoy it, I said my ass was purple."

"You're very grumpy. Like a naughty child," Jasper said, pointing his spoon. He had to try very hard to keep his face stern. "If I didn't know any better I'd say your attitude would be greatly adjusted by a spanking."

Again Edward glared, then he stormed off, mumbling to himself while Jasper laughed until his sides hurt.

Jasper looked forward to teasing Edward mercilessly that day, but as fate would have it, he didn't get the chance. It was just one of those days where, no matter how much work he did, his inbox never seemed to empty at all. If anything, it just got more full.

One highlight of his day came in the form of a text from his friend, Peter. Back when Jasper was with Maria, they'd occasionally practiced swinging with Peter and his girlfriend Charlotte. Of course, in their case, that meant that Jasper ended up with Peter and Maria with Charlotte. Jasper never could find himself in a submissive position to anyone but Maria – at least not sexually – but Peter didn't seem to mind. Thank goodness for switchers.

Though they'd all had fun together, as with all good things, it had to end eventually. Life had happened to Peter and Charlotte – whether it was the accumulation of complications in their personal life, or that it was just time for them to walk the straight and narrow, Jasper never knew. Either way, their escapades grew less frequent and, after he broke up with Maria, faded away all together. Still, Jasper and Peter remained good friends, and today Peter wanted to have lunch with him.

"So, what's new?" Jasper asked after the obligatory, manly back-pats.

"Besides New York and New Jersey?" Peter asked flippantly.

Jasper rolled his eyes. Peter always was a corny bastard. "And there was a new moon last night, too. Rephrase. What's new in your life?"

"Oh, that," Peter relented. "Not a lot really. You know how Char and I bought this big house last year?"

"Yes, craziness. You're never going to stick me with a mortgage." Jasper shook his head.

"Anyway," Peter continued. "It's been great. We have the entire top floor to ourselves and there are two rooms we rent out on the bottom floor. One of our tenants – a pretty little thing named Alice – has been with us for almost a year now. Three months ago, we take on this other guy, James." There was distaste in the way Peter spoke the other man's name.

"At first, James seemed like a pretty okay guy. He was polite to us. I thought maybe his eyes lingered on Char for a moment more than was absolutely necessary, but…you know, my girl is hot." Peter shrugged, waggling his eyebrows. Jasper had to agree. Charlotte was a pint-sized chick with a rocking body that could have belonged to a gymnast. "But then he started getting all creepy with Alice." Peter tilted his head, his face turning serious. "I see that look on your face. You know I would have handled him before he stepped out of line, but as it turned out, Alice is quite the little pistol. She 'accidentally' took a hockey stick to James's balls. Classic." Peter chortled, remembering, and Jasper shifted in his seat. No matter that the guy deserved it – his dangly bits ached in sympathy.

"So after that whole debacle, a few weeks ago, James starts bringing over this chick – Victoria." Peter whistled. "Curly, every-fucking-where red hair. Back before Char, I would have killed to get my hands on that little kitten. And fuck me – she's obviously a wildcat in bed because they keep us up at night." Peter chuffed. "Makes me remember the old days." He leaned across the table conspiratorially. "From all the screaming last night, I couldn't tell who was getting the cane – him or her."

"Victoria..." Jasper twirled a bread stick around as he thought. He knew a wild redhead named Victoria. He and Edward had run into her several times at Underworld. She was a trip to talk to - a dominatrix extraordinaire who actually kept her pets at her feet when they were out. Jasper furrowed his eyebrows, trying to remember the pretty little boy she'd had collared the last time he'd been in the club. For the life of him, he couldn't bring an image to mind, but that shouldn't have surprised him; Victoria had a nasty habit of going through subs the way most people changed underwear. It was a practice that both he and Edward disapproved of, and one of the biggest reasons they'd dodged her repeated attempts to get them into bed.

"So anyway, what's going on in your neck of the woods? Are you still with Edward?" Peter asked, distracting Jasper.

The blond man narrowed his eyes slightly. "I am still living in the same house as Edward, but - just like the last thirty times I answered this question - I am not  _with_  him. And you are a thick headed motherfucker."

"As you well know," Peter agreed. He snickered. Jasper glared. "Are you still doing the whole hooking up with random chicks and dudes while trying to deny the passion you have for the bronze-haired demi-god?"

"Jesus Christ, what was that? Are you giving up your career to try and write horrible romance novels? Let me tell you right now, that shit was so bad, you wouldn't make it," Jasper snarled.

"So defensive," Peter said with a laugh.

"Yes," Jasper said with an air of finality on the subject, "I still do that. Sometimes with Edward, in fact."

"How does that work, exactly? It still surprises me that Edward would be submissive to you. He is one arrogant prick sometimes."

"Says the pot about the kettle," Jasper pointed out. "It's the most surprising ones that have submissive tendencies. Or hell, you know, maybe not. I really shouldn't have been surprised about..." Jasper trailed off, a thought suddenly occurring to him. "Huh."

"What?" Peter asked, confused.

"No - it's true that Edward plays sub to me sometimes. I was about to say that he does his share of the dom-work when we pick up someone from the club."

"But?"

"But lately... with this one, uh, girl - woman - we've been playing with, he's barely tried to dominate her." Jasper cocked his head, thinking back. "I didn't even realize that until this minute... how quiet he's been." He tapped his chin, pondering. He'd been so caught up in the moment that he hadn't noticed that Edward never tried to take over as he usually did.

Of course, Jasper knew that Edward had always had a thing for Bella. He suddenly wondered just how deep his crush went.

So that afternoon, as a good portion of the company was pulled into a useless meeting, he watched. He purposefully didn't leave his desk until almost everybody had filed by him. By then all the seats were gone so he took up a spot against the wall. Edward and Bella were sitting directly across from one another and within easy view of Jasper.

Jasper had to hide a smile behind a well placed hand when he saw both Edward and Bella squirming in their seats - occasionally shifting just slightly. Of course they were. It couldn't have been comfortable to sit on sore asses.

Remembering Bella's story about Garrett, Jasper imagined the reason behind the blush that rose to her cheeks. Watching out of the corner of his vision, he could see when Bella's eyes darted self-consciously around the room. She seemed to settle slightly when she realized no one was looking at her. Then, her eyes wandered surreptitiously to Edward.

There was a softness about the way she looked at him. Her eyes traveled over his face, the smallest trace of a smile tugging at her lips.

As if he felt her eyes on him, Edward looked over, right at her. Instantly, Bella's eyes darted back to Marcus at the head of the room. Then, it was Edward's eyes that lingered, tracing the lines of her skin. His smile was much broader, though he only allowed it out in the open for a second before trapping it behind his hand as he leaned an elbow on the table.

Like Edward, Bella looked up under his gaze. Unlike Bella, Edward didn't look away. Jasper's mouth almost dropped open in surprise, watching the scene that unfolded.

Bella glared, looking, for a moment, like a boss warning her employee to pay attention. Chastised, Edward dropped his gaze to the tabletop only to look up at her from under his lashes. Her glare faltered and the private smile returned. She looked down as well, keeping her eyes on the table in front of her for only seconds before she looked up again, her expression shy. One side of Edward's mouth quirked, fighting the lopsided grin he wore so well. In response, Bella's cheeks flushed. Her eyes took him in again, wandering slowly from his chest back up to his face. She smirked.

Jesus, Jasper was getting a little worked up just watching them. He wasn't entirely sure they were even aware they were in a room filled with people. His eyes darted to the front, and to his horror, it looked like Marcus's eyes landed briefly on Bella, then Edward, even as he spoke.

The notebook Jasper had brought with him to the meeting tumbled from his hands. Looking around apologetically, he stooped to pick it up. When he righted himself, it was as if the exchange hadn't happened. Edward and Bella were both staring studiously forward. Marcus's face held no outward indication that he suspected anything.

Not quite knowing what to do - or if he should do anything at all - Jasper went quietly to his seat after the meeting. For the first time, he felt a kind of nervousness and guilt over what they were doing. Had Marcus seen the blatant eye-fucking between one of his managers and an employee directly under her?

There was nothing to do but wait. He was unnaturally silent on the drive home, and Edward noticed.

"Are you okay?"

Jasper glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, wondering if there was a point in making Edward as worried as he was. Edward was liable to overreact and that was the last thing they needed, so there probably wasn't. He was almost positive they'd hear from Bella if something as dire as them being outed went down. "I'm just tired," he answered his friend.

Edward snorted, but before he could speak again, Jasper's cell phone went off.  _Make me blind when your eyes close, sink when you get close, tie me to the bedpost._

Letting out a bark of laughter, Edward grinned, his whole face lighting up. "Bella?"

Nodding because his mouth was suddenly too dry to speak, Jasper clicked the button to answer the phone. "Hello?" he managed.

But Bella wasn't calling to tell him they'd been discovered. No, her voice was heavy with lust, immediately re-routing all blood - and with it all thought - to his dick, as she asked if she could come over.

Again, Jasper remembered Garrett. The mental image of Bella, bent over and tied to a stool with her well punished ass on full display, made his throat close up again. And really, what did they have to lose? If they hadn't been discovered yet, there was no reason to believe one more weekend would be their collective undoing.

Bella appeared at their door in less than twenty minutes. Her lips turned up in a sexy grin as they greeted her. Edward went to kiss her and she stopped him - one hand on his chest. "There are parts of my body I didn't even know existed that ache right now," she prefaced. "So be gentle, and I promise I'll be a good girl tonight." She winked at them, lifting the side of the delightful little skirt she wore to show just a hint of the white lace and red trim of thigh high stockings and a garter belt. It was enough of a glimpse to show she wasn't wearing panties; her beautifully marked ass was on display. Jasper felt himself get harder.

Edward swallowed hard and grinned lasciviously, his tongue darting out over his lips, as his eyes raked up and down her body. "We can be gentle," he said, in a voice that implied the exact opposite of his words.

But gentle he was.

Jasper, figuring none of them had eaten since lunch, insisted on eating first. He ordered pizza, watching as Edward and Bella gravitated toward the couch. Edward sat, pulling Bella down onto his lap. As they kissed, Edward reached up, releasing her hair from its usual bun. He combed his fingers through the mass of mahogany, kissing across her jaw.

Since they were so preoccupied, Jasper was able to slip away, retrieving something from the basement before returning. Wordlessly, he pulled Bella up, off Edward's lap. He pulled her a distance away, his hands on her hips as he turned her body to face the stairs. Sweeping her hair over one shoulder, Jasper leaned in to press a hot kiss against her neck.

He drew his nose slowly up the side of her neck, her cheek. Brushing his lips against the shell of her ear, he growled, "Bend over. Put your hands on the stair."

She froze, her eyes wide as she turned her head to face him. "Jasper…" she began to protest, but he put a finger to her lips.

"You're a good girl today, remember?" he said, letting a wide grin spread across his face as he tilted his head at her. "Trust me."

Taking a deep breath, Bella turned away from him and did as she was told. A quick glance back showed that Edward was kneeling on the couch, his head resting on his arms and his eyes taking in the gorgeous sight. In her position, the skirt Bella was wearing had ridden up, allowing them the most marvelous view of her ass. The combination of well punished skin framed by innocent white lace was unbelievably hot. Jasper had to remind himself that he was the one that declared no sex until after dinner.

But he hadn't said anything about playing.

"Spread your legs," he commanded sharply. Bella obeyed readily, and Jasper had to grin. It wouldn't ever cease to thrill him when a beautiful woman or man was compliant to his every whim. "Good," he commended, flipping her skirt up onto her back. He ran a hand over her ass, admiring his own handy work from the previous evening and enjoying how Bella's breath stuttered. She whimpered when he pressed lightly on her tender flesh.

Taking his time, Jasper moved his hands lower, lower, eliciting little moans when his fingers touched her sensitive flesh – her ass, her inner thighs and finally over where he knew she wanted him to be. As he'd expected, he found her folds already slick. Sliding one finger, then two inside of her, he chuckled lightly. "You've been thinking about us today, haven't you Bella?"

"Yes, sir," she admitted, her voice breathy as he worked his fingers slowly in and out of her.

He petted her hair with his free hand and then reached into his pocket to retrieve the item he'd brought up from the basement. He used the two fingers he had inside of her to spread her open for him, and worked the item – a vibrating egg – into her. The control for the toy remained in his pocket, turned off for the moment. When it was in place, he flipped her skirt back down, smoothing it out. Pulling her upright, he snaked an arm around her waist and tilted her head up to him. "You don't take that out until I tell you. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," she said on a breath.

He rewarded her with a kiss and allowed her to lick the fingers he'd used on her. Again he almost lost his will, thinking of demanding she bend over again so he could take her right there on the stairs.

But, no. They'd promised slow and gentle – slow and gentle was what she would get.

Leading her back to the couch, he sat her down. Edward pulled Bella's stocking-covered feet onto his lap almost immediately. Jasper let them be, going to the kitchen to retrieve beers for all of them. When he came back, Edward had Bella alternately giggling with whatever story he was telling her, and moaning as his talented fingers worked over the soles of her feet.

Bella kept throwing curious glances at him, no doubt wondering about the egg and what his intentions were. For his part, Jasper kept a blasé face on, knowing it had to be driving her crazy. But he waited until the doorbell rang. He went to pay while Edward and Bella went to wait at the kitchen table.

Only when they were out of sight did he slip his hand into his pocket and flick the control on to its medium setting. He heard a startled, "Oh!" from the kitchen and almost chortled. He moved the setting from medium to high, medium to high, listening to Bella's wild groans as the delivery man looked perplexed – almost frightened. Jasper turned the thing off, finally handing the delivery man his money. Slowly, his neck craning to see past Jasper into the house, the delivery man handed over the pizza and chicken wings. Keeping the innocent expression planted firmly on his face, Jasper thanked the man and closed the door with his foot.

Whistling, Jasper strode into the kitchen, setting the food on the table. He opened up the boxes, breathing in the scent of pepperoni and hot wing sauce. "Mmm. I'm hungry. How about you guys?"

He finally looked up, first seeing Edward's amused face. He looked at Bella and had to struggle to keep the smirk off his face. She was flushed bright pink, her mouth open slightly as she gaped at him. Jasper pretended to look concerned. "Bella, are you all right? You look a bit fevered."

Her eyes narrowed, and Edward hid his grin. Clearing her throat, Bella reached for a paper plate. "I'm just fine," she said in a remarkably steady voice. "No need to worry about m…"

She was cut off when he flicked the control to high. Dropping the plate, Bella's hand came down hard on the tabletop, as she gave a strangled cry. He flipped the control off again.

The meal continued this way – Jasper teasing Bella with various levels of vibration as she tried valiantly to eat. Even when he wasn't playing with her, she was tense – always waiting for his next move. She relaxed a little when he put his elbows on the table, using both of his hands to eat a chicken wing. What she wasn't expecting was that Jasper had passed the remote to Edward under the table just a moment before. She jumped in her seat when Edward turned the control on again.

"Fuck. Shit," she said through gritted teeth, her head thrown back because Edward let the intensity build, leaving the vibration on for a long minute, where Jasper had merely teased her with it. "You're both bastards," she groaned. Edward must have turned it off because her eyes came open and she tried to catch her breath.

"I really don't know what you're talking about, Bella," Edward said innocently. "My parents were married when I was born."

Jasper watched in rapt fascination when, several minutes later, Bella started to rub her neck. Her skin was flushed red, and her lips were parted as her breath quickened. She looked like she might have been in a sauna – her skin glistening with a sheen of sweat.

From Bella's reaction and Edward's intense expression, Jasper could guess he had the thing set on low and was watching as the sensation built. When enough time had passed that she was completely lost in the feeling, Jasper saw Edward move again, and guessed – from Bella's little gasp – that he'd kicked up the speed.

It was obvious what he was doing. He was going to bring her to orgasm without technically touching her. Leaning forward, Edward rested his arm on the table, the control in his hand. His face was set in concentration, his eyes never leaving her face. Oh, Edward was enjoying himself. Jasper could tell because his tongue licked his lips slowly. He wanted to be there, replacing the little egg with his fingers, of that Jasper was certain, but he remained seated.

Jasper was absolutely amazed, watching as Edward read her face and body from across the table. It was like that scene in when  _Harry Met Sally_ except fifty times more erotic, because they both knew Bella wasn't faking it. Her hands were clasped on the arm of the chair, her little cries becoming louder as her lips moved. "Oh. Jesus. Yes. More. Fuck. Fuck. Please." Single words spaced out between pants and gasps.

She punctuated her orgasm with a wild shriek as her body thrashed in her seat.

They were all breathing hard. Edward's thumb was on the controller, which was finally flipped to off. Bella slumped in her seat, looking boneless, as she gasped for breath.

"Mother of madness," Jasper muttered, readjusting himself as he took a long pull from his cold beer. "That was among the hotter things I've ever seen."

Edward hadn't taken his eyes off Bella. He swallowed hard and nodded his fervent agreement.

Making a vaguely disgruntled noise, Bella tried to sit up. "God. You both suck. I can't believe you did that," she stared at Edward accusingly.

Snickering, Jasper rested his head in his folded hands. "No, my dear. I think you should suck. Thank Edward properly for that truly fantastic orgasm."

Opening one eye lazily, Bella regarded him. Then she surprised them both by sliding down, off her chair and onto her hands and knees on the floor. She crawled over to Edward slowly, her eyes on him like a panther. "Whoa-oh, here she comes," Jasper muttered to himself as she stood on her knees, kissing a trail from the top of Edward's foot, up his pants up to the crux of his spread legs. She pressed kisses along the tent that his cock made in his pants, her hands running up and down the insides of his legs.

Jasper watched. In fact, most of the rest of that evening he watched, even as he participated.

When Bella had Edward in her mouth, Edward's hands were always on her. Where Jasper might have wound her long hair around his fingers, tugging and guiding her to the pace he wanted, Edward was unquestionably gentler, his movements tender. His fingers caressed her cheeks and hair, traced the outline of her lips as she sucked him off. He touched her like he cherished her.

As they moved their play to the comfort of a bed, beginning a long night of touching and more gentle exploration than their usual play, Jasper found himself paying attention to the difference in the way Bella reacted to him versus Edward.

With Jasper, Bella followed his physical cues. When he tugged, she let her body come to him. When he pushed, she moved her head where he directed. Her body followed any verbal direction he gave.

But Edward was a whole different story. He didn't have to command her. Watching them was like watching a perfectly choreographed, hypnotizing dance. She moved with him - not for him. Especially toward the end of the evening, he had all but forgotten about his own physical needs. Watching them was fascinating and beautiful.

When they were all breathless and sticky and sated, Bella lay contentedly between them. Near sleep, her body turned instinctively toward Edward, even as his turned toward her. And though Bella reached back, seeking his hand, Jasper felt almost secondary to them as a unit. He wondered how long that had been going on without his noticing.

Edward and Bella, entirely peaceful and wrapped up in each other, drifted off to sleep. Jasper was awake for long hours after, deep in thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Humph. Peter just INVITED himself into my chapter, the whore. *grumbles* I mean, he took care of a problem I was having, BUT STILL. It's just RUDE.
> 
> Anywho. So many thanks to jadedandboring, twitina and barburella. IDk why you people put up with me but I'm glad you do.


	9. I'm Weak That Way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: You guys are funny. For the record, Alice was not the "problem" that Peter solved for me. Do me a favor and trust me, okay? None of you have guessed my ultimate game plan. Though I'm loving everyone's guesses. Hehe.

**~0~**

_**"If you ask me  
I'll say  
Yes please  
To you today  
So don't ask me  
Cuz I'm weak that way  
Just don't ask me  
o.k.** _

_**I'm so glad we got that** _   
_**Straightened away** _

_**If you see me** _   
_**Walk by** _   
_**You better just let me** _   
_**Walk by** _   
_**You better not** _   
_**Bat your pretty eyes** _   
_**You better not** _   
_**Stop me to say hi** _

_**I got a sweet tooth today** _   
_**So you better not cut that pie,"** _

_**~o.k., Ani DiFranco** _

**~0~**

Bella didn't like the idea that she was hiding. It was, however, something she couldn't deny given that she was at work - alone - on a Sunday. There was always work to be done, but not enough that would warrant giving up the life she had outside of the office.

But at the office she felt more in control. It was ridiculous how little self control she'd had of late. Every logical part of her knew that what she was doing with Edward and Jasper was going to bite her in the ass sooner rather than later. There were very few ways it could end well, and many, many, many ways it could blow up spectacularly. She knew all this and yet she couldn't seem to stop.

The devil on her shoulder, reveling in the exquisite ache that came from spending the last three nights at Edward and Jasper's mercy, rolled her eyes. She didn't say a word, just started a replay of the previous day.

A bloom of heat blossomed across Bella's cheeks at the very thought. She'd had more sex in the last 24 hours than she'd had in the entire year before she'd gone home with the boys.

Because her body was still deliciously sore and achy, their couplings were slow at first. That day was about appreciation and how much pleasure they could pack into a relatively short period of time.

And there seemed no limit to the ways they could have her:

Pushed over the arm of the couch, Edward's cock in her mouth as Jasper took her from behind.

Tied to the bed, helpless to move and touch herself - or them - as they pleasured each other. Making her watch and ache as Jasper moved inside Edward.

On her knees in front of them, her lips wrapped around one of them and her hand around the other - their hands in her hair.

Lying between them, exploring their bodies with her mouth and hands even as they slowly teased hers.

"Bella, what are you doing here?"

Bella jumped a good five feet in the air, dropping the pen that she'd been absently rolling back and forth over her bottom lip. Marcus stood in her doorway, peering into her office with a confused look on his face.

"Just catching up on a little work," Bella said, surprised she was able to speak through the lump in her throat. She swallowed hard, trying to discreetly take a deep enough breath to slow her overworked heart.

"Weekends are for relaxation," Marcus admonished. "Believe me, if I hadn't just taken over this position, I would still be in bed. Besides, you put in more than your fair share of work during the week. Don't think I haven't noticed."

That took Bella off guard. "You have?" She shook her head, closing her eyes briefly because she hadn't meant to say that out loud. It was just that no matter how hard she worked, it had never been enough to gain the praise and positive attention from Mr. Banner.

"Of course," Marcus said seriously. An approximation of a smile appeared on his face. Bella couldn't tell how sincere he was being.

There was no question that Mr. Betaluci made her nervous. He seemed to be a better boss than Mr. Banner had ever been, but she didn't want to trust that assessment. There was much about Marcus that was difficult to read. Most days, he seemed entirely apathetic. Bob Banner might have been an asshole, but at least she knew how she was perceived in his eyes. Marcus was a mystery.

"So," Marcus said, changing the subject, "have you given any thought to whom you would promote, Mr. Whitlock or Mr. Cullen?"

The uneasiness in the pit of her stomach tripled and heartbeat quickened again. "I didn't think those plans were complete, sir," she said carefully.

"No, nothing is concrete yet," Marcus replied, stroking his beardless chin as if deep in thought. "Still, it's always best to be prepared. When it happens, change should happen quickly." He raised his eyes giving her a look that made her skin crawl, not because it was creepy but because she swore he could read the guilt all over her face. "You'll want to be prepared for that eventuality, won't you?"

"Yes, sir," she muttered, forcing herself to look at him steadily when she wanted desperately to stare down at the desk.

He nodded, the emotionless mask reappearing instantly. "Go home, Bella. Enjoy your Sunday."

With that he walked off. When Bella was sure his footsteps had taken him all the way to his own office she buried her face in her hands. She was flushed and trembling for very different reasons than before.

Could he know?

No – how would he know? If he knew, surely he would have had more words for her than that she needed to be prepared to make a decision.

_I need to end this._

A loud noise startled her then, making her jump a mile for the second time that day. It took her a few precious moments, her hands scrambling to look under the paperwork on her desk, to find the source of the noise.  _Bow down before the one you serve. You're going to get what you deserve._ It was her phone with a ringtone she was sure she'd never set. Of course, once the lyrics had a chance to set in to her frazzled thoughts she knew exactly who was calling her.

"You realize you're insane, right?" she answered, rubbing her forehead tiredly. She stood, quickly gathering her things because she didn't want Marcus to overhear this conversation.

There was a chuckle on the other end of the line. "Hello to you too," Jasper said, his voice teasing.

She sighed, feeling a little of the tension lessen as she stepped out of the building. "What do you want?" she asked, trying not to sound on edge as she was.

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Are you okay, Bella?" he asked, concerned and serious.

"I'm fine," she assured, forcing her voice to be a little more even. "I just have a lot on my mind. What are you calling for?" Jasper didn't seem like the type to call just to shoot the shit.

"Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to meet me for a cup of coffee, or lunch today."

Getting into her car, Bella shut the door and sat still, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. "Just you?"

"Just me," Jasper confirmed.

Trepidation started to claw at her stomach again. This was a complication she didn't need, especially now. She wasn't an idiot. Sex could be complicated. Threesomes had the potential to up the complications considerably. The last thing she needed was one of them falling for her – or thinking they were falling for her. Everything could spin out of control quickly.

If one of the men developed jealous feelings toward the other things would not go well. Anger and jealousy were volatile emotions, and they all worked together. The horrifying visions in her head made Bella's voice tight as she answered. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Jasper gave a light laugh. "Nothing intimate," he assured. "I promise. It's about Edward."

Bella let out a slow breath, relieved. "What about Edward?"

"Just meet me," Jasper implored.

A number of what-ifs entered her mind, not the least of which was the paranoid thought of running into one of her other employees. But that was unlikely. Both Bree and Mike lived a good distance away from Jasper and Edward's house and her own. Her stomach growled, reminding her she was hungry too. "Fine," she relented.

~0~

"So what's this all about?" Bella asked after they'd ordered their lunch.

"Edward's birthday is on Monday," Jasper stated bluntly, as if this should be news.

Bella nodded slowly. "I know. He requested the day off."

Jasper nodded. It took Bella a moment to identify why she suddenly felt nervous. It was Jasper's attitude. He was neither the amiable yes-man that he was during work nor the cocky bastard he was in the bedroom. In fact, as he chewed absently on his straw, he looked hesitant about something. "Jesus, Jasper, spit it out already."

"Oh." Jasper looked at her, blinking in surprise. "Sorry, I got distracted. I wondered how you felt about going in with me on a gift for him."

A small frown tugged the edges of Bella's lips down. "As ridiculous as this is going to sound, that would not be appropriate." She rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Honestly, this whole thing has gotten so out of control as it is. We need to-"

"Hold that thought," Jasper implored, his hand out. "I think I know where you're going with this, and I can't say I'm surprised." He gave her a little grin. "I've kind of been waiting for it, but if I could ask you to hold off on this particular conversation for one more week."

She looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Hear me out…"

~0~

The week was an interesting one. Telling herself that she would end it after Sunday, Bella found herself on Jasper and Edward's doorstep three times that week.

Maybe it was just that she knew their time together was numbered, but their encounters seemed to carry a new, heady weight. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy herself - she most certainly did. But there was that inevitably desperate sense you got when you knew something was going to change for good. It wasn't really sadness but awareness.

She treasured the moments and hoped they would understand. Things had to go back to normal. She had to be just their boss - not their plaything - again.

Though he never talked about it, Jasper seemed to know - at least, that was the sense she got. His lips lingered just slightly longer as they brushed and pressed and framed his tongue and his teeth against her skin. When he had her, bound and waiting, at his feet he looked a little more than necessary, as if memorizing.

If Edward knew, he didn't let on at all. He seemed blissfully oblivious, moving on her and in her with all of his normal passion. Bella wondered, reveling in the way he filled her so completely, if he would miss this as much as she would.

That Sunday, as she got out of her car at their place, Bella's feet were heavy with a melancholy she tried to shake.  _Just sex_ , she reminded herself repeatedly. It took her a moment to identify why her heart panged. ' _You have to know you're more than a piece of ass to us_ ,' Edward's words echoing in her mind. It was true. They were more to her than just simple, casual sex. She respected them and trusted them further than she'd trusted anyone she'd been with sexually.

So, she acknowledged as she stood on their doorstep, it was reasonable that her heart would ache. Their connection ran deeper than a night of fun. Still, she wouldn't ever regret going home with these two men. What she was losing – what they were losing – was no tragedy.

She rang the doorbell.

"Hey," Jasper said, a warm smile on his face as he opened the door.

"Hi," she responded softly, smiling back, taking his hand as he reached out for her. He pulled her inside, shutting the door behind her.

Taking her other hand, Jasper stepped back, just looking at her. His eyes traveled up from her high heeled shoes to the tip of her head. Bella felt vaguely self conscious. She hadn't worn anything special. Jasper made it clear that her shoes were the only things she was going to be wearing that she came over in. Her hair was up in the coiled tight bun she wore at work and her glasses perched on her nose; it still amused her that Edward was so taken with that look.

His hands tightened around her and the look in his eyes became distinctly wistful. He tugged her forward, using his hands to guide her arms around his waist. When she complied and wrapped her arms around him, Jasper moved his hands to her face. His fingers traced over her features with a tenderness she wasn't used to from him.

Before she could ask if he was okay, he leaned forward, tilting her face up so he could kiss her. It was a slow, serious kiss, and suddenly Bella was very aware of what he was doing. Her hands on his back, she pulled herself closer to him, sighing as she moved her lips with his.

They'd all known that their little arrangement couldn't last forever. Underworld wasn't the kind of place one went when they were looking for anything long term. Their work situation was just one more complication, one more reason to get out of the game before they lost too much.

A wave of sadness washed over Bella, making her break their kiss as her breath shuddered. She kept her eyes closed as Jasper caressed her cheek with the knuckles of two fingers. For minutes she just breathed, trying to formulate her thoughts because it seemed like there was something she should say here. She knew this was goodbye, at least for them.

When her mouth opened, he placed his finger over her lips, silencing any speech she may have made. Opening her eyes, she could see the wistful amusement in the set of his lips - pursed lightly in a smile - and the twinkle in his eyes. Jasper was not one for many words. He knew when to speak and when to let his actions do the talking.

Silently, he took the glasses from her face, hanging them on his shirt so he could take her face in his hands again. His lips brushed her forehead, down the bridge of her nose and across both of her fluttering eyelids. His thumbs stroked her cheek as his lips found hers again, a slightly deeper kiss as his tongue flicked across hers.

There was nothing bitter about the sweetness of their kiss. They'd had a good time together and with Edward. That time had come to its natural end. There was no drama or lingering, broken feelings between them.

When they parted they were both smiling. Jasper's lips quirked as he put on a serious expression, settling the glasses back on the bridge of her nose. At the look on his face, Bella's heart began to pound. They had one more scene to play together, and she had to admit she was excited.

"Go upstairs, strip except for those sexy little shoes of yours, and be ready for me," he commanded, his voice low and steady.

She let her eyes drop and only nodded, turning to head up the stairs.

In Edward's room she started to disrobe, her eyes casting about curiously. She'd been in here only once before - the morning after the first night. Then Edward had been eager to get her in his shower. She felt a pang, part of her wishing that she hadn't spoiled his fun that day.

Rather than concentrate on the encounters that wouldn't happen now, Bella concentrated on processing the bits and pieces of Edward that his room gave away. The music and movies she'd seen before, but now she had a little time to peruse.

Bella felt a rush of delight when she recognized many of her favorite movies and artists. She knew Edward well enough that she figured there had to be a rhyme and reason to how his media collection was organized.

In the middle of her guessing game, Bella was distracted by a trio of pictures on his shelf. There was one of him - perhaps sixteen or seventeen - in a baseball uniform. He was on his back on the ground, obviously laughing his ass off and flipping the bird at the other boy in the photograph. Likewise dressed in a baseball uniform, his hat backward on his head, the other boy looked broader and older than Edward, but similar enough that she guessed they were related.

Her theory was reinforced by the second picture: a family photo showing a beatific blond man, a lovely light haired woman, Edward and the broader boy with the dimpled grin.

The third photo showed the Edward she knew now. Bella felt the familiar warm rush of attraction as she stared at the photo. He stood beside his father and brother - or so she assumed. All three were smiling widely, dressed in suits with flowers on their lapels. A wedding, she guessed. Probably his brother's given that where Edward and his father were dressed in black, his brother was dressed in white.

If it was possible, Edward looked more delicious in a suit than he did completely naked. She licked her lips. The fact that his father and brother were also ridiculously attractive and dapper was just icing on the cake. The genetics in that family...

She heard, too late, the rustle of movement as Jasper came into the room. She still had her ruffled boyshorts and bra on. Her hands flew to the hemline, prepared to yank them down when his voice stopped her cold. "Freeze."

Her back was to him, which made Bella both nervous and excited. He walked to the bed first, depositing whatever items he brought up from the basement on the mattress. She heard the clink of metal against metal and her mouth went dry, wondering exactly what Jasper was up to.

He took his time, letting her sweat before he stepped up behind her. Bella's whole body felt like it was covered in a sheen of static electricity. She wanted to back up because she felt him so close that her skin ached to be pressed against him, but he had commanded her to be still.

He tsked, clucking his tongue as he stepped closer to her, the shirt he wore brushing against her. He wrapped an arm around her waist, one hand flat against her abs as he pushed her back against him. "Well, well. I trusted you with one small task and here you are being naughty and disobeying me. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Pushing past the nervous lump in her throat, Bella answered in a murmur. "I'm sorry, sir. I got distracted."

His hands wandered up her body, fingers barely skating along her skin, until he got to her bra. He undid it in one swift motion. "You were snooping," he accused.

"I-" Bella began, only to be cut off as he pushed the bra down, off her shoulders and off her breasts. His hands snaked around to her front, fingers taking hold of nipples and squeezing. Hard. "Oh!"

"No excuses, now," he ordered, rolling her nipples between the pads of his fingers, alternately squeezing and tugging. "It's just as well," he rumbled into her ear. "Red was just the color I chose to wrap Edward's gift in anyway."

He released her nipples, making Bella gasp. His hands back on her hips, he turned her around, marching her forward to face the bed. Bella might have said something but her voice seemed to have temporarily scampered off at the sight before her. There was a wide array of goodies laid out on the bed before her.

Positioning her so she was standing at the center of the foot of the bed, Jasper let his hands trail up her body, along the undersides of her arms until he was gripping her wrists in both of his hands. He brought her arms out and placed one on either bedpost. "Don't move your hands from here," he instructed.

"Yes, sir," she breathed.

Again deceivingly gentle, his hands traveled back down her body. He hooked his fingers into the ruffled fabric of her boyshorts. "These are very naughty and sexy. Just like you," he whispered into her ear, his lips teasing the shell.

With a sudden movement, he yanked her panties down. They pooled at her ankles, but she didn't step out of them, not wanting to move unless he instructed her to. His hand on her abdomen again, he directed her backward a step or two so she was slightly bent over with her hands spread wide and firm on the bedposts.

He stepped away from her and walked to the bed, picking up a trio of small, black, leather paddles that hung on a ring. He turned one over in his hand. "I thought of you when I bought these," he said, sounding amused. "Especially this one." He showed her how there were words cut out of the leather on one side. The one in his hand said bitch. Bella smirked but said nothing. "But, for the occasion, I think this one will do just fine." He disconnected the one that had a trio of stars on it. "Appropriate and decorative."

Bella fought back a grimace, picturing the little stars coming off her bottom like in comic books and cartoons whenever the characters got hurt. She supposed the effect was the same if the stars were on her skin.

Moving to stand behind her, Jasper wasted no time getting straight to work. "The trick with these," he spoke as he brought the paddle down at a steady, rhythmic pace on her skin, "is that you have to strike the same place repeatedly to really leave a good impression. So you'd better not wiggle."

That was a tall order. Sure, the slappy little paddle was not as unforgiving as the ruler he'd used on her before, but it still stung like crazy. She bowed her head, gasping as the waves of pain spread through her body, stirring the familiar and not at all unpleasant ache at her core. And the pace at which he was spanking her was quick - never letting the full sting wear off before the next blow fell.

He concentrated first on her left cheek, deliberately painting one row of stars on her upper ass, one at the peak of her buttock, and one on her lower ass. He repeated this process on her right cheek until she was panting and sniffling, her palms pressing hard against the wood of the posts so she wouldn't move though she desperately wanted to.

"Shhh, there. All done," Jasper said, putting the paddle down on the bed and turning her to face him. He put an arm around her, stroking her back as he brushed away the few tears that had escaped. "Your ass is so pretty now," he murmured, kissing her chin and her cheeks. Wrapping his hands around her wrists again he guided her hands back, resting them on her tender ass. "Feel how warm it is."

She rubbed her hands over her ass, feeling the delicious warmth and rubbing some of the sting off of her skin. As usual she was unbearably turned on, and if it wasn't for their purpose there in Edward's room, she would have been shamelessly begging him to take her.

Jasper obviously remembered too because he stepped away from her again. "Go kneel at the center of the bed," he commanded, "facing the window."

She did as she was told, carefully avoiding messing up the neatly laid out implements he had yet to use.

"Hands on the back of your head," he said, stepping to one side of the bed as he watched her. When she was in position he reached out, brushing his finger around her hardened nipple. He squeezed it once before taking something out of his other hand - a fancy sort of nipple clamp from which hung a little, red bow on a short, shiny, black chain. Bella swallowed hard, but didn't complain as he fastened one, then the other to her nipples. She let out a soft groan at the squeezing sensation.

"Hands behind your back," he ordered. Bella complied and sat still as he bound her hands at the wrist with a thick but soft red rope.

"Spread your legs." Jasper held her elbow to keep her steady as she moved so she was kneeling in a wider stance.

He let her go then and moved around behind her. There was some rustling before she felt his hand on her ankle. She shivered delicately at his touch. It took her a minute to realize that he was fastening a spreader bar to her ankles. Her heartbeat quickened, the ache between her legs making her want to press her thighs together automatically. She settled for wiggling a little.

Jasper chuckled, caressing her sore ass once in sympathy. "Almost done," he promised. "Get that pretty little ass of yours in the air."

Almost too quickly, she leaned down, thrusting her ass up as she settled, somewhat awkwardly, with her shoulders and chest resting on the bed. It wasn't the most comfortable position but she'd been in worse.

Jasper gave a small moan. "Good god you look so fucking pretty." His hand was rubbing over her ass again. Bella gasped when she felt something cold and wet at her ass crack. Lube, she realized.

Keeping one hand working at her ass crack, his fingers probing in and out of her, Jasper laid a butt plug in front of her eyes with his other. "I bought this for Edward. That's his birthstone, see," he indicated the jewel that covered the base of the plug. It was very pretty and the mental image of it in Edward's ass made her coil painfully tight inside. "That kinky bitch does love him some assplay," Jasper laughed. "But I think he'd be just as happy to see it displayed on you."

He picked the thing up again and moved it to her entrance. He worked it slowly, sliding it in and out of her while Bella whimpered and moaned, until it was buried in her. He gave a long sigh. "So pretty," he said under his breath.

Finally, he came and knelt by her head, stroking the side of her cheek before moving his fingers over her lips. Bella darted her tongue out, licking the tips of his fingers before taking them into her mouth. She wanted to encourage him to replace his fingers with his cock, but knew better. They'd said their goodbyes, and Edward would be home in just a few minutes.

So Bella kissed his fingers and Jasper leaned forward, kissing her forehead and then her lips. He smiled at her once, and then stood, walking out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: A gentleman knows when and how to make an exit. Oh, don't look at me like that. Jasper's not gone forever. He still lives in the house FFS. We'll see how it all goes.
> 
> Look - I'm fail at reading. But Barburella has FABULOUS taste (I mean, she reads ME ;) ) so she has decided to take over the rec'ing department. The girl is smart and, as previously mentioned, she has great taste. The dude abides.
> 
> Barbi's rec corner:
> 
> GothicTemptress is writing her first WIP, Scintilla, after several one-shots.
> 
> Summary: The temperature of our lives is first influenced by little sparks. If they are kindled, nurtured & encouraged, what fires can be ignited? A story about activism, the humanitarian spirit within and the slow burn of a passion years in the making.
> 
> Such a well written, smart, UST filled story. Go read and review: s/6753988/1/Scintilla
> 
> Thanks to the always fabulous jadedandboring and the ossim twilightmundi for beta to my darling ficwife for helping me upload cuz I was stuck on a computer with... gasp... NO WORD!


	10. Why'd Ya Have To Go And Make Things So Complicated?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry about reviews. Argh. Life etc. I love you all.

Edward was in a good mood as he strolled up to the house. He hummed to himself, rifling through the sheet music he'd purchased, itching to get his hands on his keyboard.

Jasper was going out as Edward was coming in. "There you are. Good day?"

"Yep," Edward verified cheerily. "Where you off to?"

Waving his hand, Jasper continued toward his car. Edward couldn't help but notice he kept his body angled away. "Nowhere important," the blond man said vaguely. "I left you a gift up in your room. Time sensitive. Don't wait!" he called over his shoulder.

"My birthday's tomorrow!" Edward shouted back.

Jasper leaned on the open door of his car. His answering grin was wicked. "You don't want it, Edward, and you just call me. Believe me, I'll take it." He shook his head and got in, driving away without another word.

Perplexed and amused, Edward shrugged and went in the house. He headed to the stairs, still going over his music. He would see his parents the next day and get a chance to play the piano he'd left at their house. His mother always lo-

_Sweet mother of madness, Jesus fuck._

His thoughts sputtered in his head, trying to comprehend the glorious sight on his bed. Bella – beautiful, tied up and waiting for him. Jasper had thought of everything. She was wearing nothing but heels – a recurring fantasy Edward had once told him about back when Bella was only their untouchable boss. A spreader bar kept her legs spread wide, leaving her completely exposed and lovely. He could see little ribbons hanging from small, metal chains undoubtedly clamped to her nipples. Her wrists were bound with soft, red rope – more festive than the typical white they used. Her gorgeous, perfect ass was glowing a tantalizing red… with stars. Stars! And the hilt of the plug – pearl white instead of the normal black – was gemmed, the facets catching in the sunlight that filtered in through the window.

He was painfully hard in an instant.

Slowly, as if this vision would disappear if he moved to fast, Edward crossed the room to the bed. He knew she was aware of him; her back rose and fell at a rhythm a little too fast to be normal, but she didn't speak.

His hands were drawn like magnets to the globes of her ass. Bella whimpered, a bewitching noise that made his cock twitch in his jeans as he rubbed his palms over her heated, marked skin. Beside her on the bed were several toys, including a set of paddles with words or patterns cut out of them – the source of the stars.

He let his hands drift over her skin, admiring and teasing. His hands skirted lower, lower, and Bella let out tiny, whining moans as his fingers played at the inside of her thighs. "Yes," she said on a sigh as his fingers found her center already slick and hot.

"Fuck," Edward muttered under his breath as he slid a finger into her. He pumped first one, then two fingers into her, coating them in her essence as she wriggled with his ministrations. She whimpered again when his fingers left her, but they only danced back upward, leaving a moist trail as he circled the plug.

Taking the hilt of the plug in his hand, Edward worked it back out of her – in and out – tantalizing her before he removed it completely. Bella's hands, bound behind her, were in fists. Her body was tensed, and he could see she was biting her lip. From where he was he could take her any way he wanted. She was ready and willing.

But Edward wasn't ready yet.

Again Bella gave a small whine at the back of her throat, but didn't complain when he stepped away from the bed. Moving around to the side, he brought his fingers to her lips. As she took them in her mouth, her eyes flitted up to his. They were dark and mischievous, smoldering with the intensity of her desire for him – easy to read even behind her glasses. His heartbeat tripped and stumbled for a moment before he calmed again, shifting because his jeans were entirely too constrictive at that point. His free hand went to her hair.

As he ran his hand along her silky hair, loving the way she pushed her head against his palm like a kitten begging for attention and purring in pleasure when she got it, Edward mused with what he wanted to do with this precious gift.

Not for the first time he considered what an enigma she was. He knew she was confident and strong, relentlessly opinionated and not at all shy of showing it. Yet here she was - silent and obedient, her body prostrate as she basked in his simple petting. If he wanted her to crawl around his room on her hands and knees she would likely comply without argument.

It was easy to let Jasper make the decisions when they played. Edward was ambivalent about his place in the bedroom. At the end of the day he derived pleasure regardless of whether he was submissive, dominant or floating between the two. He enjoyed watching his partner - or partners - almost as much as he enjoyed the acts. He'd watched his quiet college roommate evolve, harnessing the considerable powers of his charm and commanding presence. He'd seen men twice Jasper's size bow and literally kiss his feet. He'd seen proud women beg and mousy women become trussed up goddesses.

And Bella he'd seen as his dominant and his submissive. He wondered what she looked like as his equal.

Again he stepped away from her, keeping his eyes on hers as he rid himself of his shoes and the jeans that were irritating the hell out of him. Her cheeky grin, as her eyes raked down his body to where his cock strained at the fabric of his boxers, made him feel wild. Edward stubbornly beat back the primal urge to fly at her and have her right then.

Instead, he took the glasses off her nose, laying them gently on the nightstand as she blinked, adjusting. With a hand on her elbow, Edward helped her straighten up. He climbed onto the bed then, mirroring her position as he knelt in front of her.

Edward let his eyes drift down. Just to tease her, he gave the chains of her nipple clamps a soft yank, making her suck in a sharp breath. "Oh," she breathed as he circled the pad of a single finger around first one, then the other nipple, not touching. The flesh of her sensitive nubs got harder and more engorged, further stimulating her as the clamps bit down. "Shit," she hissed, and again he had to taper down his need for her.

Her eyes were closed, so she didn't see the smirk on his face as he released her nipples from their sweet torture. His eyes closed as he leaned forward.

"What are you-" Bella began, but he silenced her with his lips. He sighed in contentment when she kissed back, slow at first but building in fervor as she leaned into it. As they kissed he danced his fingers down her arms, delighting in the way her body shivered and goose-flesh peppered her skin. His nimble fingers worked the rope expertly and her bindings fell away.

Edward almost smiled when he saw Bella's hands flutter. She was waiting for instructions, he knew, but he wasn't going to free her lips so she could ask. He was more than willing to wait because he could kiss her all day without getting tired of it.

Eventually, Bella got the point. Her hands landed lightly at his waist, resting with the weight of a butterfly perched on a flower. As he continued kissing her, making no move to restrain her, Bella's hands began to float upward. He wanted to grin in triumph when she started unbuttoning his shirt.

Brushing his fingers in light circles, Edward traced the contours of her back. She shivered and sighed into his mouth when he tickled the hairs at the base of her neck. Edward opened his eyes again, his lips turning up when he saw her eyes were closed as she kissed him. He wanted to watch as he pulled the pins out of her tight bun. Her hair came down in a coil, and he ran his fingers through the tresses, smoothing them out so they flowed down her back again.

Releasing her lips for the first time in minutes, Edward tilted his head. He pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth, the tip of her nose, the line of her cheek. Her hands, flat on the bare skin of his chest now, stilled.

There was an uncertainty in her eyes when he looked back at her again. It wasn't unwillingness, but a kind of innocence he'd never seen in her before. With her cheeks tinged pink and her full lips parted as she panted lightly, she seemed younger than she was. Edward's chest seemed to expand, feeling full and happy in that moment. He caressed her cheek with the back of his knuckles. "You are so beautiful," he whispered, not aware he'd spoken his thought out loud before her lips quirked up in a pleased, shy smile.

Tentative, like she wasn't a grown woman with plenty of experience in the bedroom, her hands started moving again. She leaned in, kissing his stubbled chin as she moved her thumbs over his nipples. Now it was Edward's turn to sigh as she explored his skin. Her lips trailed down his neck, her tongue flirting as it flicked randomly against his flesh. He gave an appreciative moan when her teeth nipped at his shoulder.

When her hands reached the hem of his boxers, he grabbed her wrists.

"Hold that thought," he murmured, kissing her cheek quickly.

"What?" she said, seeming a little dumbfounded as he got off the bed, moving back around her. She looked over her shoulder, trying to watch what he was doing as he undid the straps of the spreader bar. She gave a little laugh. "After all the trouble Jasper went through, you're just undoing everything."

Looking up at her, he grinned. "That's what one does on their birthday, right? Unwraps their gifts?" He pressed two slow kisses to the each cheek of her ass before trailing his tongue to the sweet spot at the small of her back. He stood then, and kissed her full on the lips for a moment before releasing her. "You didn't leave me much to unwrap," he teased, running his hands along her side, "so I had to make do with what I had."

She laughed, a delightful little giggle that made him want to kiss her senseless all over again. He pulled her backward, urging her to stand because he was sure she had a couple of kinks, being in that position for who knew how long. He walked around front of her, sitting down on the edge of the bed and licking around her belly button as she arched her body upward, both stretching and urging him right where she wanted him.

Edward looked up at her, cupping her sex with his hand. She put her hands on his shoulders, gasping as he pressed the heel of his palm against her clit. "Do you want me?" he asked, his voice low and husky because he damn sure wanted her.

"Please," she begged. "Yes. Now."

Releasing her, he scooted backward on the bed, taking off his boxers as he went. He had to try very hard not to laugh at Bella's confused expression as she stood, uncertain, at the foot of her bed. His want to smile faded when he wondered if this was a turn off for her, if she needed to be ordered or pulled or pushed to get off.

But then her grin became sly again, a little more certain as she knelt on the bed, crawling over to him like a cat on the prowl. She climbed over his body until they were face to face. Leaning down to kiss him, she brushed her center over his hard length, letting him slide along her folds. Edward groaned into her mouth, his hands resting on her hips.

She could have tortured him, teasing him without letting him inside of where it was hot and tight and perfect. But they were both worked up, and he imagined whatever Jasper had done to her out of his presence had her on the edge well before he even got home. She straightened up, her hands playing along his chest as she lifted her hips, taking him inside of her slowly.

As Bella began to move on him, Edward let his hands devour her. He palmed her breasts, his thumbs brushing over her nipples, knowing they were still super sensitive from being in the clamps. He rolled them between his fingers, gentle as her eyes closed and she moaned. Then he reached around, running his hands over her ass, letting his fingers probe lightly at her other entrance. "Baby, yes," she breathed, and he wasn't entirely sure if she was aware she'd said it.

As he wondered at the endearment, her eyes opened. The look in them was soft around the edges, adoring, and his breath caught in his throat. The smile on Bella's face faded as the atmosphere that swirled around them caught up with her.

There was something more there.

More than just having an undeniably sexy woman moving with him, taking him deep inside of her.

More than just the physical pleasure of their joined bodies.

Looking into her eyes then, Edward felt an ecstasy unmatched by any sexual experience he'd had to that point. It was a feeling bordering on the sublime, and he had to grip her hips, stilling her movements to keep from spilling into her right then.

He imagined his eyes were uncertain as hers had been earlier, because he was suddenly completely unsure of what he was doing. There was a fear there, as if he was teetering on some high precipice, gazing down into the unknown. Falling would be thrilling – a greater high than he had a word for – but frightening too.

Bella took a shuddering breath and leaned down, her arms resting on either side of his head as she kissed him. With her body full against his, her breasts and her hard nipples pressed into his skin, Edward felt somehow soothed – full, like he had been missing something until that very moment. His arms wound around her as they began to move again. Their kisses now were intense, lips moving in time with their thrusting hips.

He hoped that the way she moaned into his mouth meant he was hitting that sweet spot inside of her because there was no way he was going to be able to keep at it for much longer. As it was, the strength of the orgasm that was building inside of him felt like it could shatter him entirely.

"Edward!" her cry seemed to echo the unfamiliar feelings that welled in his chest – scared but excited. He felt her walls begin to seize, clamping tight around him as they tumbled off that unnamed precipice together. Her name caught in his throat, becoming a strangled scream as his body shook with hers. His mind went completely stark white and thoughtless as he came, hard, inside her.

It might have taken minutes for his thoughts to become concrete again. He was aware, first, of Bella's body resting both light and heavy on his. They were both breathing hard, and he could feel her trembling lightly. Her head was buried in the crook of his neck, her breath hot on his moist skin.

With his arms firm around her, Edward rolled them slightly so they were on their sides. Bella's eyes were still closed, her lips parted as her breath slowed. Suddenly needy to touch her, as if assuring himself that she was real, Edward began brushing the hair off her face. His movements were slow and tender, his fingers inexplicably shaking. The atmosphere around them was still charged, having lessened not at all with their release. He wanted to ask her what was happening, but when her eyes opened, finding his, he could see she was just as lost as he was.

They both started when the doorbell rang, loud and shattering the bubble that had formed around them.

"It's me, Edward!" a voice traveled up through the open window.

The tension broke and Edward laughed, cuddling Bella to him for a moment. "It's my brother," he explained, kissing her sweaty forehead and breathing her in. "I completely forgot he was coming over to hang out for a bit. He can't make it to my little shindig tomorrow."

She chuckled, her lips on his neck. "You forgot?"

He cupped her face, tilting her head up so he could look at her. "Yes. See, Jasper left me quite a gift, and all the blood I needed to remember Emmett was coming over was relocated elsewhere."

She smirked, placing her hands over his on her face. "I see," she murmured. They kissed again, only to be interrupted by the impatient man ringing the doorbell. Repeatedly.

Edward growled against her skin. "I'll get rid of him."

"You shouldn't," Bella protested. "Hang out with your brother. I'll be okay here." She snickered to herself. "I cleared my schedule so I have no where else to be."

Edward's phone rang, making Bella laugh when she recognized the Donkey Kong theme song. Rolling reluctantly away from her, Edward located his discarded jeans, pulling the phone out. "Would you hold on?" he groused into the phone. "I'll be downstairs in a second." He heard Emmett's answering chuckle before he hung up the phone.

Deciding that he didn't want to go commando in his jeans, Edward crossed the room to his dresser, digging out a pair of lounge pants. He turned back to the bed, dropping the pants in surprise at what he saw there.

Bella's ass was in the air, her body half off the other side of the bed with her head near the floor. "What are you doing?" Edward sputtered.

Straightening, Bella waved the item she'd been retrieving. Edward's cock twitched to half mast when he saw she'd picked up a vibrator – one of many toys that had fallen off the bed. She smiled sweetly at him, a pretended innocence coming over her features. "Just trying to figure how to entertain myself while you're gone."

Groaning, Edward stepped back to her, pulling her up to a kneeling position so he could kiss her. "You're a horrible person."

"I know," she responded simply, nipping at his bottom lip. "But you make it easy, Cullen." She cupped his bare ass, squeezing hard. "Now go put some clothes on and play with your brother."

He laughed because, as always, she kept him on his toes. Kissing her once again, sweetly, he reluctantly let her go. Sliding into his pants and buttoning his shirt, Edward headed out the door. No sooner had he closed it – just in case – then he heard the unmistakable buzz of the vibrator. "Minx!" he shouted through the door. She cackled and he couldn't help but grin.

"Emmett," he greeted when he opened the door a second later.

"Dude!" Emmett laughed as he clapped Edward on the shoulder. He shouldered by without being invited in, and Edward rolled his eyes. "You reek of sex, little brother."

"Your powers of observation are stunning," Edward said dryly.

Emmett grinned, his lips lifting up in the patented Cullen lopsided smile. "Can I meet her?"

"No," Edward said too quickly. "Look, Em, I know I invited you over, but something came up."

"I'll bet," Emmett laughed.

"Poor choice of words," Edward admitted. "Not to be rude, but will you just leave?"

Emmett pretended to consider this. "Nope! What kind of brother would I be if I didn't hang out with my brother for his birthday?" He threw himself down in the armchair, hands behind his head as he settled in. "So, tell me about her."

"Emmett," Edward bit out warningly, his voice harsh with irritation.

The grin fell from Emmett's face as he cocked his head, really looking at his brother. He raised an eyebrow. "This one is serious, isn't it?"

"What? No," Edward said, his words too quick for his own comfort. He wondered why he suddenly felt so defensive. "She's… it's... I…" His words tangled on the tip of his tongue. He rolled his eyes to the ceiling, wanting to laugh at himself but not finding the situation humorous. Why couldn't he just shrug it off – make some snide, crass comment about having an extremely hot woman with a filthy mind in his bedroom?

Emmett laughed, incredulous. "Really? I didn't know you were seeing someone. How serious is it?"

"It's not… like that," Edward said slowly, his arms crossed defensively over his chest as he looked anywhere but his brother.

"Uh-huh," Emmett said, not buying it. "Let me give you a hypothetical situation. You and this unnamed chick are friends on Facebook. Your relationship status is listed as…"

Despite himself, Edward smiled, trying not to laugh. He looked at his brother, a practiced serious expression on his face. "She's a very freaky girl," he said gravely. "The kind you don't take home to mother."

Now it was Emmett who was trying not to smile.

"Seriously, Em, it's not like that. I mean, it's not just anybody, but it's not serious, it's…"

"Complicated," Emmett finished, rolling his eyes. "Everything with you is complicated. Let me make it simple for you. If you have enough feelings for the chick that it's got you stuttering like a high school kid, you probably should think about it … seriously."

Edward snorted. "This coming from Washington State's playboy of the year?"

"Who better? Even I don't know how many girls I was with before Rosie. But when I found her, and I was stupider than usual around her, I had to think twice." Emmett smiled. "I don't regret it."

"Emmett…" Edward began.

His brother waved a hand. "Yeah, I get it. Complicated."

He stood up. "Alright already, just because it's your birthday I'll let you get back to business." They both smirked for different reasons. Emmett dug through his pockets, and then suddenly froze. He looked over at Edward, both eyebrows raised skyward. "It's not Jasper, is it?"

Edward snorted, not for the first time wondering what Emmett would think about his less than conventional relationship with his friend and housemate. "No, it's not Jasper."

"It'd be cool if it was."

"Like I'd let it stop me if it wasn't cool with you… It's not Jasper," Edward repeated.

"Fine, fine," Emmett placated. He took what looked like a credit card out of his pocket. "Here."

"What's this?"

Emmett looked sheepish. "I'm bad at gifts. Rose said it was tacky, but I figured it's preferable to just get what you want now instead of having to return whatever crappy thing I got ya, and then get what you want."

Taking the gift card from Emmett, Edward clapped his brother on the back. "Good choice. Listen, let's get together next weekend. For real this time."

"You got it," Emmett promised. He walked off to his truck, tossing his keys and catching them before he turned back with a bratty smile. "Make sure you're using protection! You don't want any not-so-serious-very-complicated babies."

Edward shut the front door a little harder than he'd intended.

When he finally got back upstairs, Edward stopped short in the doorway to his room, suddenly breathless at the sight before him. Bella laid, belly down and obviously asleep, on his bed. Her face was turned to the side, her lips lightly pursed in her sleep. Her hair flowed loose and wonderfully rumpled over her back and his pillows. His eyes followed the lines of her bare back down to where her skin disappeared beneath the blankets. Only the tops of her ass cheeks showed – pleasantly reddened with the points of the first row of stars visible.

For a moment – a mere flash of time – a vision scampered across his thoughts with the quickness of a mouse fleeing a pouncing cat. For that second he could see the world as it would be if this was his – as if it were normal to walk upstairs to find this stunning, provocative, amazing woman sleeping in his bed like she belonged there. The ache of want so desperate it was very nearly need made him sway.

Closing his eyes, Edward shook his head hard to dispel the strange sensation. It was curious. She was not the first woman he'd had in his bed, and he was no stranger to the world of casual sex. The heady, needy feeling in his chest was foreign to him and oddly painful. He mentally cursed his brother for putting ridiculous notions in his head.

When he opened his eyes he looked at her like any red blooded male would. Quietly, he crossed the room, kneeling on the bed.

He pulled the blanket down so he could get a full view of her ass, and began kissing her reddened cheeks. He laughed to himself, some half formed joke about this being much better than kissing her ass at work amusing him.

Bella began to stir, waking with a little groan as he nipped at the inside of each star, licking the spot where his teeth had pinched her. She made a move to roll over but he kept his hand on her upper back, pressing her lightly down as he kissed and licked his way up to her shoulders. Only then would he let her roll over.

When they were face to face, eye to eye again the same titillating, intense atmosphere settled over them. Edward still didn't know what to do with it, or how to explain it, so he followed his impulses, finding a place along her throat and staying there for long seconds, kissing and licking it thoroughly. She didn't say a word, but her fingers were in his hair, her naked lower body brushing and bumping his cloth-covered lower body.

"Edward?" she asked, her voice thready as his mouth worked lower, closing around her nipple.

"Hmm?" Edward hummed distractedly.

"Is – um – Emmett your younger or older brother?"

Startled by her question, Edward released her nipple and backed a small distance away so he could look at her. "What?" he asked dumbly, a little disconcerted by his question.

"Your brother's name is Emmett, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Is he older or younger?"

Edward felt his cock grow limp at the continued talk of his brother. "Older. Are you really asking me about my family right now?"

She seemed a little bashful, that wide-eyed uncertainty making her look young and awkward again. "I'm just curious. I've been looking at your pictures." She pointed to the trio of pictures on his shelf. She smiled at him a little wickedly. "I was just trying to figure out who was more attractive: you, your brother, or your father."

He brought his hand down sharply on her ass, making her squeal once in surprise. "You think you're funny."

"Sometimes," Bella agreed.

They talked then. Edward told her about his parents and Emmett. That conversation bled into why he went to the college he did and how he ended up working with her. In return she told him about her parents and growing up hopping between two states and two very different parents. And how Bob Banner had slowly squeezed the humanity out of her, shaping her into a boss who was totally opposite of the person she wanted to be. She wanted to be compassionate and fair, likable and firm. She'd had to settle for bitchy and fair, hated and borderline unreasonable. She didn't like it, but if she ever wanted to be in a position where she could actually make a difference, it was a mask she had to wear.

As the sun set they were still curled close together. Their words segued into kisses and their bodies tangled. This time it was Edward moving over her, their bodies as close as possible as he thrust into her. His fingers wound tightly with hers above her head, and the rare moments their lips were free he whispered her name with a sort of reverence. Her eyes were open and on him – it was almost too much, and yet not enough at the same time.

For the second time that day, his orgasm left him incoherent for full minutes. Edward rolled onto his back, gathering her against him and memorizing her face with his fingers as they caught their breath.

He still didn't know what to do or say about how the air felt heavier and alive around them. He just held her because he knew he didn't want to let her go – not yet.

Many minutes passed before she sighed, her eyelashes fluttering against the skin of his neck. "I have to go."

He sighed because he'd expected that. "Will you come back tomorrow?"

Her body stiffened and she rolled away from him. "That's not a good idea," she said, her back to him as she retrieved her clothes from his desk chair. She pulled her pants on quickly, not looking at him. "Edward, we have to stop this. I wish it wasn't complicated … you know, with work… but…"

"It is," he finished for her.

She sighed, putting on her shirt and turning back to him. "More than you know," she admitted. She didn't look directly at him, instead worrying a bit of his comforter between her fingers.

"Hey," he said, his hand under chin. He forced a smile as her eyes came up to his, "it had to end some time. I'd say it's good to end on a high note." His smile was a little more genuine then. "And this was a very good high note."

Her lips quirked and she laughed. She leaned in, bringing her lips to his slowly and softly without trying to deepen the kiss. He stroked the sides of her face with his thumbs, trying to make his movements less desperate than he suddenly felt.

When their lips parted Bella leaned her forehead against his. Her breath stuttered, and when he opened his eyes he could see she was squeezing her eyes shut tightly. But after a moment they smoothed out and she looked at him again.

Edward pulled on his lounge pants again as they both stood. Hesitant, he took her hand squeezing it once as they walked downstairs. "Where are you parked?" he asked, suddenly realizing he hadn't seen her car in the driveway.

"Around the corner," she answered, lingering in the doorway.

"I can walk you," he offered softly.

Her hand tightened around his but she shook her head. "No, that's okay."

Edward's heart thudded painfully in his chest. He wanted some excuse that would keep her here but could find none. At a loss for what else to do, he wrapped his arms around her again, pulling her close for one more kiss. She clung to him, kissing him back.

"Thank you," he said, not caring if it sounded trite. "For tonight. For everything."

Her smile was as forced as his. "Have a happy birthday tomorrow."

"Have a good day at work," he said, feeling lame but still not wanting to let her go.

Their eyes met. They both swayed on their feet.

But in the end Bella turned away, her arms wrapped around herself and her heels click clacking as she walked away quickly, and Edward closed the door with a soft snick.

He stared at the door, willing the doorbell to ring even as he fought back the urge to go flying after her.

_What the fuck is wrong with me?_

It was just sex. Phenomenal sex, but just sex nonetheless. Just sex had to end, as he'd told her. She was his boss and it was better that they all stopped fucking around before it bit them in the ass… hard. Simple as that.

So why his stomach churned nauseatingly and his eyes burned Edward couldn't tell. Why his heart twisted and he felt furious and like crying at the same time he couldn't begin to explain. He sat heavily at the kitchen table, rubbing his head and trying to think of anything else except the woman who had just walked away from him.

He hadn't moved when Jasper returned an hour later with cartons of Chinese food. Edward didn't say hardly a word as Jasper served him a plate, making small talk.

It was a testament to how absolutely befuddled he was that it took Edward almost twenty minutes to notice that Jasper hadn't said a word about Bella. She was his gift, so to speak. Obviously he had to have known she'd been here. Normally Jasper would have been ribbing him, at least hoping Edward had 'done me proud.'

"You didn't ask about Bella," Edward said accusingly.

Jasper looked up, quirking an eyebrow. "How long have we known each other?" he asked rhetorically. "I know better to pester you when you're obviously a million miles away. You'll tell me what happened eventually," he shrugged, going back to his food.

Edward studied Jasper, his brows furrowed. The other man studiously chewed his food, deliberately ignoring Edward's stare. Unfortunately, Edward had every cause to know when Jasper was feeling pleased with himself. His smirk was a dead giveaway. "You did this on purpose," he realized out loud.

Jasper looked up, chewing with deliberate slowness. When he was done, he swallowed and gave Edward a cheeky grin. "Of course I did it on purpose. You think she tied herself up?"

"You know that's not what I mean," Edward said, beginning to get angry. "I can't stop thinking about her."

Laughing, Jasper stood, taking his plate to the sink. "Let me ask you something. When you saw Bella on your bed, tied up and literally ready to go like a plug and play, what did you do?"

Edward squirmed in his seat, looking down at his plate. "I untied her."

"Now, you and I both know she was more than willing to be in the position I left her in. You could have hopped on and ridden her into the sunset if you had the inclination."

"Jesus," Edward winced at Jasper's crass language.

The blond-haired man just smirked. "Well, you could have. But you didn't. You untied her. You could have been as rough with her as you pleased, but were you?"

"No," Edward said quietly.

"No. Obviously, I wasn't there, but I'm willing to bet it was some ooey, gooey, look deep into my eyes, planet moving, mush fest." Jasper could barely hold back his grin as he spoke.

Edward couldn't answer at first. After a moment he took a breath, offering one last argument. "You knew how I felt about her, how I've always felt about her."

"I knew you had a little crush – an infatuation as you say. That little barista down the street? I am infatuated with her ass. I mean, Jesus Christ have you ever seen anything more perfectly round? I'd like to get that in my hands on her just once…" he shook his head, getting back on target. "But I wouldn't make sweet love to her. Or her ass. I'd pound the fuck out of it, but making love? No."

"Nice," Edward grumbled, but it was half hearted at best. He buried his head in his hands, groaning. "Fuck. What do I do?"

Jasper snorted, standing and going to the sink with his empty plate. "God help ya, man, cuz you know I can't. The closest I've come to love is whatever I had with Maria and we fucked that up good and proper, didn't we?" He shook his head. "But at least now you know. Happy birthday."

"Jasper," Edward called before the other man could wander away.

"Yeah?"

"She broke it off. With both of us. She said that we couldn't do it anymore." He was staring at nothing, the look on his face uncharacteristically lost, almost fragile. He turned to Jasper, giving him a humorless smile. "What good is knowing?"

Jasper worked his jaw, as he considered his answer. He didn't seem surprised, Edward noted numbly. Of course, it wasn't a surprise. What they had was never meant to last, and that wasn't a big deal for the blond man. Finally, Jasper's eyes found his and he looked apologetic. "I didn't think that far ahead," he admitted. Then he shrugged and grinned. "Change it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Barburella and jadedandboring - what would I do without them? Who knows.


	11. One Week Gone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: My lovely, lovely reviewers. I love and appreciate you SO MUCH. Life has been such this week that I had to make the decision between replying or writing. I chose writing - I figured you might appreciate it more. Please know you are appreciated, and I should be better at replying this week. Sorry!

**~Monday~**

Bella had never been happier that she had an office of her own.

It was ridiculous. Any time she had more than five minutes to herself, her eyes would start to water. It had been that way since the night before. The moment she'd gotten around the corner from Edward and Jasper's house, she'd burst into tears.

 _Don't be so pathetic_ , she told herself scathingly, wiping at her eyes for the millionth time that day. She was a strong, independent, sexy woman. It wasn't difficult to find sex partners.

Except… it was well past the point where she could convince herself that it was just sex she'd walked out on the night before.

If it was just sex, she wouldn't be remembering the way Edward's slow, deep kisses had left her aware of just how much her body yearned for him. The intense pleasure she found with his simple kisses had frightened her to an extent, as did the shy happiness that had spread through her when he called her beautiful.

And, God… the look in his eyes when she was on top of him, or later when she was beneath him and he was deep inside of her… When she was looking in his eyes, it was impossible to look away. Fear made her want to close her eyes tight, but the euphoria that gripped her body made it impossible to remember how. She knew nothing but the overwhelming emotion – fear, pleasure, adoration – that welled in her. Nothing else in the world existed, in those minutes, but the two of them. She couldn't get close enough.

By the end of that night she'd known she was falling for him.

Scratch that.

She'd fallen. It was done. There was no turning back or turning it off.

Taking off her glasses, trying not to remember the way Edward had smiled both times he'd taken them off for her, Bella put her hands over her eyes, leaning her elbows on the desk because she couldn't fight her tears any longer.

It just wasn't simple. She knew, from the way he looked at her, the tender way he touched her, that Edward had to feel something too. It should have been simple, but it wasn't, and Bella was at a complete loss for what to do.

On the one hand was the possibility of something wonderful between her and a man she knew to be complex, kind, funny and sexy. Bella would be lying if the thought wasn't appealing to her. She hadn't been looking for love, but if it had to find her, she wanted the freedom to pursue it.

But she was bound.

The company had a strict policy regarding relationships between employees. They couldn't be in the same department. If she were to pursue something with Edward, one of them would have to make a change. There was no way Bella could ask that of him. The only other department Edward was qualified to be in held no interest for him. Not only that, but it would be a demotion. No one wanted to work in customer support.

As for her, not only were there no supervisor positions available, but she had a lot more to consider.

She'd hated working for the Volturi company from almost the moment she stepped in the door three years before. It took all of three months for her to start quietly submitting her resume elsewhere. It had landed her an interview with the company she dreamed of working for. Russell Berty was known as being a great CEO, encouraging the presidents and managers to constantly stay on top.

And, as luck would have it, he sat in on her interview.

He'd followed her out, offering her the following in the elevator: " _I like you. A lot. I can see you're smart and creative… just the kind of person I'd love to have on my team. But you're young. You need more experience. I know quite a lot about the atmosphere under the Volturi brothers. If you can make it there, you can do anything. Give it five years and then come see me again."_

Three years later and he still checked in with her occasionally. No man was worth sacrificing her dreams. No matter how much she wanted him. And fucking hell, she wanted him so much it hurt.

Frustrated, Bella allowed herself a few minutes to cry miserably and quietly into her hands. She was angry – at the world and at herself. She'd known from the get go that getting involved with her employees was bound to get complicated. It was a huge risk she shouldn't have taken. There were so many ways it could have blown up in her face. She supposed that having her heart broken was minor compared to what could have been.

"Miss Swan… Bella, what's wrong?"

Bella's head snapped up. Completely distracted, she hadn't noticed Marcus open the door to her office. She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, sniffling as her cheeks heated. This was the last thing she needed: to be seen as an emotional woman.

"Nothing's wrong. You just caught me at a bad moment."

"If you need to leave for the day-"

"No! I'm fine, sir," Bella assured, pushing her glasses back on. "It's nothing of immediate importance. Just caught off guard by a memory."

He studied her, his features flat and unreadable as ever. "Hmm." But he seemed to accept her excuse as he rifled through the papers he'd brought with him. "Mr. Cullen's out today, is he?"

Bella started, hearing Edward's name, and forced herself to take a deep breath. Marcus wasn't a mind reader, she reasoned. Just because Mr. Banner had never even remembered the lower ranking employees' names didn't mean Mr. Betaluci was the same. "He requested the day off months ago," she explained. "It's his birthday."

"Ah," Marcus nodded. "Anyway…on to business. We spoke about expanding the duties of your team a few weeks ago. I think we're going to move forward with that. We're going to up your team from four to ten. Can you handle that?"

Blinking sporadically at the rapidly changing conversation, Bella hurried to nod. "Yes, of course."

"Good, I expected as much. So you're going to need to hire seven new people."

"Seven?" Bella echoed. "I thought you said ten team members."

"Yes," Marcus said, raising an eyebrow. "Ten team members and one lead. Speaking of which, I'll expect your decision on that by the end of the week."

**~Tuesday~**

Change it.

How was he supposed to change it?

Edward stared at his computer screen, not really working so much as clicking on random things to make it look like he was. If she knew what he was doing - or not doing - his boss would have his ass. He wasn't entirely sure he wasn't doing it on purpose.

It was nearly two o'clock and Bella had yet to emerge from her office. At that point, he was so desperate to see her that he felt like a child being naughty to attract attention from a distracted parent. He was pretty sure he wouldn't complain if she wanted to spank him.

Shaking his head to clear that thought, Edward tried again to concentrate on his work. It was no use. Like a goldfish, an item would have his complete attention for only a handful of seconds. Then he would think about Bella again, his body vibrating with a strange energy as if it knew she was nearby. Instead of seeing his computer screen he saw a slideshow in his head. Bella, nude and sleeping on his bed, the smooth expanse of her back inviting his hands and his lips. He'd seen her in so many beguiling positions - enough to masturbate from memory alone for the rest of his life - but that one image was his favorite.

Or maybe not.

When she'd looked at him, innocent and uncertain, but her eyes soft with adoration, he was pretty sure that he could have died happy in that moment.

Edward banged his head against his keyboard.

"Whoa, Edward," Mike's voice, half amused and half concerned, filtered over. "Are you okay, man?"

"Fucking peachy," Edward growled, his head still on the keyboard. He threw out a thumbs up just for good measure.

"Ooookay... " Mike said after a moment, and Edward heard the sound of his chair rolling back.

Sighing, Edward lifted his head. Sure enough, Mike had returned his eyes back to his own computer and wasn't paying him any mind.

Why this woman?

Even without the company policy, a relationship with her was impossible. Edward knew first hand the completely unfair way it would affect how her staff judged her. As it was, he felt guilty for perpetuating the stereotype that had to be the bane of every woman working hard for equality in a man's world.

His little crush had started out as the worst kind of fantasy. Three weeks into the job Bella had pulled him in for his very first dressing down. He'd gritted his teeth so hard his jaw ached, and when he went back to his desk his thoughts had been venomous.

How smart she'd looked, glaring at him steadily behind her glasses. His wounded pride had whispered that she loved the power she held over him. She loved abusing that power. And he'd thought of exactly how he would put her in her place. He'd imagined her down on her knees, her pouty lips wrapped around his cock as he held her hair in his fist.

If she had been male, he never would have sexualized her that way. But she was female and confidently sexy to boot. Over the course of the nearly three years that they'd worked together, Edward had built up a fair number of fantasies.

Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that his fantasies would come true, but so many of them had. But there was a price to the Pandora's box he'd opened when he and Jasper had approached her in Underworld. It wasn't even remotely fair of him to want something more with her - not when it would cost her too much. He understood that the respect - however grudging - she'd earned from Bree, Mike and her own superiors would likely be null and void if she was caught with one of her employees.

Still, he remembered that Pandora was left with one small positive amidst all the trouble she'd unleashed - hope.

He couldn't help but hope that there was at least a possibility of a future for him and Bella. He just had to figure out a way through all the complications.

**~Wednesday~**

_This is stupid._

It was utterly ridiculous that it was taking her so much time to decide between Jasper and Edward for the lead position. In her heart of hearts, Bella knew it should have been a no-brainer. Edward was six months more senior than Jasper. Though he was unquestionably harder to deal with as an employee, he was also the better leader because of it. Part of his frustration was that he often felt he had a better solution; as a team lead he'd have a bigger voice in the way the team was run. He was more detail oriented, slightly harder working – not that Jasper was a slacker by any means – and well liked by the staff in general.

It's not that Jasper was a bad choice. He was charismatic and would make a wonderful leader if he had his head in the game. He just wasn't quite as qualified as Edward was.

Bella knew it was incredibly unfair that she was hemming and hawing at all. She tried to tell herself she was doing nothing wrong, that it was only logical to consider how well she and Edward could work together. She closed her eyes, disgusted with herself.

It was absurd. How frustrated had she been over the years that her opinions were overlooked and disregarded by Bob Banner simply because she had tits? How many times had she gone to Angela, seething because she deserved equality? Yet what was she doing to Edward? All things considered he deserved the position, but she was hesitant because of the discomfort she would feel. And why should he be passed up in an advancement opportunity simply because she'd made the poor decision to sleep with him?

Disgusted with herself, Bella stood, suddenly needing a break. She headed to the break room, pushing the door open a little harder than she intended. As she all but flew through the door, she didn't see the human shaped blur until it was too late.

Trying to keep her balance as she collided with the other person, Bella's foot twisted in her high heeled shoes. She pitched forward, her arms going out and tangling with the other person. They both collapsed to the floor, limbs entwined.

Of course it was Edward. Despite the pain that shot through her leg, her heart pumped pure happiness through her veins. When she looked up and his eyes locked with hers, she felt whole for the first time in several days. "I'm sorry," she blurted.

Neither of them moved immediately, in no rush to be out of each other's arms no matter what the reason. "Are you okay?" he asked softly. His hands ran back and forth over her arms, just an inch or two in either direction, but the simple touch thrilled her.

"Fine," she assured, reluctantly beginning to stand. They couldn't be caught together, even innocently.

Edward stood with her, keeping a steadying hand on her arm. His brows furrowed when she winced and leaned heavily on the counter. "You're hurt."

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine. My foot's a little twisted. I'll get over it." She looked up and that was a mistake. He was close enough that it would have taken nothing to kiss him. The pull she felt was a physical entity between them, and her head tilted upward at its command. His concerned eyes darted briefly down at her lips, and when he looked at her again they were a dark moss green, heavy with want.

Bella forced herself, with the last shred of her sanity, to turn away. "I um. I," she stumbled, her body dizzy because she wanted to run away as fast as she could at the same time she wanted to throw herself into his arms. "I have flats in my office. I'll… Yeah."

She walked as quickly as her twisted foot would allow. There was not a lot of grace and dignity in fleeing with a limp.

Back safely in her office, Bella forced herself to face the facts. Being near Edward for the first time in three days had her entire body trembling and her mind an absolute wreck. Her heart was twisting painfully in her chest, aching so terribly that it took everything in her not to run back out to him. Fuck her job. Fuck her employees. Fuck everything she'd worked for if it meant she could quell pain of her heart breaking inside of her.

Maybe this desperate, cloying feeling would get better with time, but she needed to acknowledge there was no way she was going to be able to work with Edward closely in the near future.

Bella groaned into her hands. Maybe it was for the better. It could be the solution to both her problems. If she gave the position to Jasper, she would be spared the awkwardness and inevitable heat of having to work with Edward. And if he hated her for being so unfair, it would dash the hope she had in her heart that they had a shred of a chance to find something together.

At the end of the day, when most of the employees had gone home, Bella knocked on Marcus's office door.

Marcus looked at her steadily after she'd told him her decision. Bella had to struggle not to squirm in her seat. Why was it that she always felt he could see right through her? But in the end he just nodded, steepling his fingers with a thoughtful expression. "I believe you made the right choice. Speak to Mr. Whitlock first thing tomorrow. He can sit in on the interviews you have scheduled and start helping you redirect the talents of your team."

Marcus continued and Bella listened carefully to his directions, but most of her was a million miles away. She felt sick to her stomach because she knew she was hurting someone she cared deeply for. He wasn't going to forgive her, and that was fine by Bella. She doubted that she would forgive herself anytime in the foreseeable future.

**~Thursday~  
**

If anyone had told Jasper that he would be unhappy to be promoted, he would have laughed in their face. But unhappy he was. He stared across the desk at Bella, noting how her usual confident demeanor had wilted. Her shoulders were slumped, and she was looking down, shuffling the paperwork on her desk rather than look at him.

Jasper swallowed hard. "Bella," he said softly, addressing her as his friend because his boss certainly wasn't in the room at that moment, "you know this is wrong."

She breathed in deep and raised her eyes to look at him. They were sad but hard. "It's done, and Marcus agrees with my decision."

"Then I don't accept," Jasper countered, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"The department is being shifted. You're position would no longer be available-" Bella began, but he cut her off.

"Then I quit. I'd rather quit then let you do this to him."

Bella closed her eyes briefly, breathing in through her nose before she looked at him again. "Don't quit. Jasper… you know what kind of job market it is out there. If you quit you'd be shooting yourself in the foot. I don't want that to happen to you."

He studied her for a moment, reading her body language. Her hands were clasped on the desk in front of her, seemingly relaxed, but Jasper could see that her nails were bitten down to the quick. Her lips were slightly chapped where she must have been biting them before, and her posture radiated her extreme stress over the situation. "Tell me why you're doing this," he implored, his voice soft again.

A doe-eyed uncertainty flashed across her features before she looked down again. "I can't tell you that," she said, so quietly that he almost couldn't hear her.

"It's mutual, isn't it?" he dug. "What he feels for you – it's mutual."

Her eyes met his again, hope warring with hurt, but she said nothing. Jasper chuffed. "Talk to him," he said bluntly.

"What is there to say?" she asked wryly, her voice strained.

"Man, if you don't know, you're both more hopeless than I thought," Jasper said, shaking his head.

Bella sighed. "I'll talk to him," she promised. "But right now I need you to take this position and trust that I know what I'm doing."

Jasper was quiet as he thought it through. He could refuse or quit but what would that do? Aside from being a black mark on his record either way, Bella would be forced to choose Mike or Bree – and heaven knew that would be a disaster – or she would have to go with Edward. Fair or not, even Jasper knew that Bella and Edward couldn't work together that closely without things getting uncomfortably complicated. Suddenly he could see the wisdom behind not having personal relationships on the job. Distracting was an understatement.

Sighing, Jasper rubbed his hands over his eyes, understanding the tight spot she was in. "All right. I accept."

Her smile was small but genuine. "Good. Then we can get right to work." Then she looked wary again. "There's one more thing. You know that I know this is a lot to ask, but I need you to keep this to yourself until Monday. No exceptions."

**~Friday~**

Something was going on, of that Edward was certain. He was also certain he didn't like it at all.

The day before, Jasper had disappeared into Bella's office and hadn't reappeared all day. Edward knew it was ludicrous, but he couldn't help the fantasies his overactive imagination came up with.

What could have taken them so long?

Images came to him unbidden; how many times had Jasper told Bella about his secret fantasies? He'd rumbled in her ear about how he wanted to bend her over her desk, and fuck her in her office until she screamed so loud everyone would know.

Jasper had teased Bella at work before. Now that she had broken off their physical relationship, had he taken it to the next level, seducing her at work because he couldn't let her go?

But no – Jasper wouldn't do that. Especially now that he knew Edward had feelings for her. He and Jasper had been friends for too many years. They would never betray each other like that.

Right?

But after work on Thursday, Jasper had been quiet and distracted on the car ride home. He hadn't even gone in the house before he mumbled something about Peter and plans, gotten in his car, and taken off. He didn't return that night. He'd already been at work – in Bella's office in fact – before Edward got there.

And he was still in Bella's office.

Something was going on between Jasper and Bella. Though his logical mind had many, many sound arguments that it was nothing that should have him feeling as irrationally jealous as he was, Edward couldn't make himself calm down. He was driven to distraction, envy and suspicion providing a never ending variety of increasingly ridiculous scenarios.

By the end of the day he was coming out of his skin with the need to talk to Jasper. He caught him in the parking lot.

"Hey, Edward," Jasper greeted, and it did not escape Edward that he didn't look at him. "Listen, Peter's having trouble with one of his ex-renters. I'll probably be there this weekend."

"All right," Edward heard himself say though it was anything but. "I'll be at my parents' anyway."

As Edward watched Jasper drive away, his hands were clenched in fists. Anger and suspicion warred inside of him, making him feel volatile, confused and hurt.

His attention was drawn by a familiar click-clack, and Edward looked to the entrance of the building in time to see Bella emerge. She stopped, noticing him staring. They both looked at each other. She took a step in his direction, looking uncertain, but like she wanted to go to him. Edward held his breath, his heart thudding painfully in his chest.

But in the end she too walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: IKR? What happened to all the fun? All the sex? Dubya Tee Eff!
> 
> Anyway. Thanks to jadedandboring for beta of lightening speed! And thanks to Barburella even though she abandoned me. *sniffle*


	12. There's Going To Be Yelling?

Bella couldn't sleep. In the middle of the night, when there was nothing to distract her from the persistent pain that spread through her body with every beat of her heart, she questioned her aspirations. Was having the job of her dreams worth the terrible heartache she was suffering? Logically she knew this pain would pass, but in the peak of the night, it felt never-ending.

A nagging voice in her head reminded her that even if she were to give it all up – throw all she'd worked for to the wind to pursue this possibility of a romance – it was too late. She'd already made the decision to stunt his career. It was an unfortunate reality that part of the job included not just capability to do the job, but the ability to work well with her personally. That their working together would have likely ended both their careers was irrelevant. Certainly, Edward was young and talented; other opportunities would present themselves. It didn't make her decision right.

_It's not business, it's personal._

It was almost three in the morning when Bella burst into a fit of hysterical giggles. She'd had no problem maintaining a working relationship with both Edward and Jasper after all the things she'd let them do to her. She'd hung from their fucking ceiling for crying out loud and had still been able to look them in the eye as their superior at work. But now…

Whatever had happened between her and Edward on his birthday weekend had changed the air between them. She couldn't look at him as one of her four employees. It was as if he had some sort of highlighter. She was aware of how near he was every minute of the day. Her thoughts were dominated with memories of his beautiful face. When she looked at him – when she tried to be his boss – she didn't see an employee.

Bella's giggles fell away as her lower lip quivered. Growling in frustration – she truly detested that she felt like sobbing like a school girl – Bella wiped at her eyes, catching the tears before they could fall.

What a royal mess.

On the business front, she appeared to have made the best choice. It wasn't difficult to work with Jasper, and as she expected he brought a fresh insight to their evolving department. He'd sat in on interviews to fill the new positions all day and hadn't so much as flinched as he discussed the pros and cons of each prospective employee. After he'd expressed his displeasure the day he was hired, she expected him to at least be sullen. He was nothing but professional.

After work though was a different story.

It seemed appropriate that she hadn't changed his ringtone. The Nine Inch Nails song prefaced the change in their positions. As his boss, Bella was superior. As his friend, Bella fell into a naturally subservient position – not because of the roles they'd assumed in the bedroom, but because he had the moral high ground and she knew it.

" _I need you to know how much this sucks. The only reason I'm not telling him what's going on is that I'm expecting you to do the right thing. He deserves to hear it from you, Bella_ ," he'd said.

He was right. Of course he was right. Though she was irrationally terrified, she'd tried to call Edward that evening, but his phone was off. So she was left tossing and turning. And crying.

Pathetic.

When Edward's phone was still off in the morning, Bella had to escape. She drove to Forks, where her father lived.

Charlie was such a straightforward man. If Bella were to vent about the corner she'd painted herself into, she wasn't sure Charlie would understand. She honestly wasn't sure what side of the fence he would stand on, though. He might have told her to buck up – business was business and she should have been able to work with Edward, keeping their personal lives well separate. Then again, he was the same man who, while completely unable to deal with displays of affection, had managed to sweep her whimsical, not-so-serious mother off her feet with grand romantic gestures.

But after spending the majority of the day with her father, Bella did feel a little more centered. Everything with Edward felt more intense than it actually was, or so she could convince herself when she was with her bachelor father.

That was, until they stopped at the gas station on their way to the Lodge for dinner. Who else was there but Carlisle and Esme Cullen?

It had occurred to her, the weekend previous when she and Edward had talked at length about their families, that her father might know his parents. They lived in the same small town, and Charlie was the Chief of Police.

Her luck improved even more when Esme invited them home for dinner. Bella could see Charlie wanted to go. The poor man didn't eat home cooking very often. Typically, when Bella went to see him she made them dinner, but she hadn't felt like it that evening. What could she do but agree? It was bound to come up that she worked with their son, and if they'd heard anything at all about her it probably wouldn't be that she'd been wrapped up in naught but bondage equipment and a pretty red ribbon on his bed six days before.

So she was mostly silent as they made the drive to the Cullen Estate.

And then she learned that Edward's family was very, very,  _very_  wealthy.

It brought many questions to mind, not the least of which would be why anyone would choose to work for the Volturi brothers if they had another choice. Obviously, Edward had choices. Why wasn't he taking them?

She and Charlie hadn't been in the house five minutes before the front door opened again. There was no part of her that should have been surprised at who stepped inside, but she was.

It occurred to Bella then that the fates had a horrible sense of humor… and that she was royally and entirely screwed.

**~0~**

As soon as it was polite to do so, Edward fled the dining room for the living room … and, more importantly, the well stocked bar therein. He was gulping down his father's finest brandy like water when Emmett joined him.

" _That's_  the ball buster?" Emmett asked in an amused whisper. Edward shot him a glare anyway, and was doubly annoyed when his brother just laughed. "Poor you. Here I always pictured this battle axe of a woman. Or maybe some Amazonian chick who could beat the shit out of me with her pinky, ya know?" He shook his head. "This chick? Fuck, how do you get any work done? I wouldn't be able to stop thinking about bending her over the desk and having my way with her."

Edward choked, a spray of brandy going all over the drinks at the bar as he coughed gracelessly. Emmett pounded him on the back. "Why are you spazzing out? It's no big deal. There are worse things than having dinner with your hot boss."

Again, Edward said nothing. It shouldn't have been a big deal. It should have been, at most, a minor, semi-awkward annoyance. Of course, how could Emmett know this was the woman he longed for, the woman he'd spent most of the day dodging questions about because his older brother wouldn't leave it the fuck alone?

The line was rapidly blurring between Bella his boss and Bella the object of his affection. It didn't help having her here at his parents' table, at her father's side. It was too easy to see a distant vision of the future, because if they could have something together, both their families at one table would likely be a common occurrence.

She looked so lovely. It'd taken him forever to realize that part of the reason he couldn't seem to stop staring was that he'd never seen her in casual dress before. Dolled up in Underworld, or for his and Jasper's amusement, yes. Crisp and professional in her power suits, of course. If it was possible, she looked even more tempting in jeans and a light sweater, her hair held back with two simple clips at either side of her head.

All through dinner he'd been desperate for her to look at him. He felt like shouting it at times, but no matter how hard he thought the words at her, she studiously contemplated her plate. She would look up at his mother and father, even Emmett, but not at him.

It was ridiculous but part of him wondered if Jasper had lied. Maybe he hadn't gone to Peter's but to Bella's house instead. Maybe that was why Bella couldn't seem to meet his gaze.

Or maybe he was a jealous ass who was wretchedly in love with a woman who was off limits. It was all the worse because he'd had a taste of her. How was he supposed to forget?

And maybe Emmett was right, he was just complicating things more than necessary. He was a man in love with a woman – an idea almost as old as time. Maybe…

"Edward," his mother's voice interrupted his musing. Edward turned to find his mother in the doorway, smiling indulgently at both of her sons. "There you are. I need you to do me a favor. Bella has wandered out onto the back porch, alone. I know you don't like her, but do you think you can mind your manners long enough to serve her a glass of wine?"

He forced a smile for his mother's sake. "I don't hate her," he murmured quietly. "She can be frustrating, but I actually like her quite a bit."

Emmett's eyebrows shot skyward. "You could have fooled me!"

Esme elbowed her eldest good naturedly. "Honestly, she seems like a remarkable young woman."

"She is," Edward agreed. He sighed, taking the bottle and glass from his mother. He reached over the bar to retrieve a second glass for himself and then went in search of Bella.

She was right where his mother said she'd be, looking out over the spectacular view he'd grown up staring at. There was a light breeze that played with her hair, lifting it from her shoulders and making it difficult to resist the urge to smooth it down. It was obvious she was deep in thought as she didn't look up when he stepped out onto the veranda. He cleared his throat.

Bella whirled, caught off guard, and her face flushed when she saw him. Immediately she looked down again, and then back out at the Sol Duc River. Edward sighed, the dull ache that centered around his chest making his words come out bitter. "This is a little extreme, isn't it? You don't ignore me at work. Well, you didn't before this week. You're going to ignore me at my parents' house?"

This caught her attention, and she swung her head to look at him. For a second, fire flashed in her eyes. That spark of anger was at least an emotion he could read and understand. Her demeanor the last week, and that night especially, was bewildering. But the fire in her eyes only lasted a second, then she sighed and looked down again. "I'm not ignoring you."

He'd poured both glasses of wine, handing one to her. Their fingers brushed when she took hers, and Edward was surprised at how much he thrilled at the light touch. What didn't surprise him is that he instantly wanted more. It was as if his very skin was parched, and she was the only water in a vast desert. So he wouldn't act on the urge, he put the wine glass to his lips and drank heavily, noticing her doing the same out of the corner of his eye.

"We need to talk," Bella continued once the wine glass was half empty. "There are things I have to tell you."

"I'm listening," he responded, trying to ignore the way his heart twisted with a sick dread.

Bella looked up again, her eyes uncertain and sad in a way that broke his heart. He wanted to comfort her, but some part of him felt sure that whatever she had to say was going to hurt him.

When had he given this woman that much power over him?

"I'm fairly certain there's going to be yelling at least... there deserves to be," she admitted, and his gut felt like a lead block at his center.

Swallowing carefully, Edward waiting until he was sure his voice could be even before he spoke again. "I'm not going to make a scene at my parents' house."

"Like I said, I think you should have the option. To yell, I mean." She smiled, but it was a sad, defeated expression. "Meet me tonight. Just text me when you can take a little bit away from your family."

She turned to head back into the house then, leaving him staring after her with too many questions in his mind. The only thing he could think that would make him angry was if she and Jasper had started seeing each other, as he'd suspected. But then why would she feel guilty? Bella had no obligation to him personally, and Jasper was the one who knew of Edward's feelings for her.

Pouring a second glass of wine, Edward went back inside to wait for the rest of the evening to crawl by slowly.

~0~

Bella didn't consider herself fearless by any stretch of the imagination, but she was a tough woman with thick skin. So why she felt so completely terrified, she couldn't imagine.

Part of being a good leader, a good person in general, was knowing how to take responsibility for her actions. Edward deserved to know the basis of her decision before it was suddenly sprung on him Monday.

Even if it meant he would hate her.

Because it was Forks, there were very few places for them to meet outside their parents' homes. Also because it was Forks, even though it was the middle of the summer, the evening was cool and misting. Bella pulled her sweater closer around her, rubbing her shoulders as she waited in the darkness of the park. She sighed to herself, silently lamenting that even the bar in Forks wasn't open past ten in the evening.

Finally, a familiar car pulled up alongside hers, and she watched as Edward got out, leaving his headlights on as hers were so they could at least see each other. He looked wary, which she supposed was only reasonable. Cryptic messages and clandestine meetings… when had her life become worthy of a trashy romance novel?

Without speaking, Edward sat beside her on the bench, putting a comfortable amount of space between them.

Breathing deeply to calm her frazzled nerves, Bella told him about the position at work and her decision to make Jasper the lead position. Almost instantly, Edward paced a few steps away. He stood there, and she could tell by the way his back rose and fell sharply that he was already upset.

"You know," he said, not looking at her, "I'm not naïve. I know that being the best man for the job isn't a guarantee that you'll get it. But you've always been a fair boss, Miss Swan," he said the last words bitterly, and Bella flinched hearing him address her so formally. "I realize that we've had our differences, but I can tell from your attitude that you know I deserved that position." He turned, still not looking at her, and she could see the tense set of his jaw as he spoke. "I don't understand why Jasper didn't tell me."

"I asked him not to. Technically, no one at the company knows besides Jasper, Marcus and myself," Bella said quickly. Above everything else she wanted, it was important to her that he not blame his best friend for her choices. "Edward, he was pissed as hell at me. He threatened to quit."

Edward scoffed. "Obviously he was very angry." Even in the relative darkness, she could see that he was hurt and pissed. "Tell me why. Not to sound like we're twelve years old, but this isn't fair." He looked her in the eyes then, and she nearly flinched at the pained fury she saw there. "Look at me and tell me that this isn't personal, that you didn't stunt my growth at work because of something that happened after hours."

Bella looked down at her hands, her heart pounding hard with fear and shame. He deserved to know the truth, all of it. She would admit to him, here, why she'd kept him from moving up within their company.

As much power as she'd given Edward over her body, the power she was about to give him now made her tremble. It wasn't just that he could, in his anger, cause her no small amount of trouble at work. There was so much more at stake than that. Her heart had never been on the line before, and she knew without a doubt that his reaction to what she was about to say could break her.

But, scared as she was, she wasn't a coward.

Wrapping her arms tighter around her torso, she forced herself to look up. "I'm so sorry, Edward. I just couldn't work with you. It's not right. In fact, it totally sucks, but it's true."

"But you could work with Jasper," he spat, not asking.

She looked him right in the eye, begging him to understand. "I don't feel for Jasper the way I feel about you."

The silence, as he blinked at her, was deafening. Anxiety made Bella's skin crawl, and she found herself babbling before she knew she was speaking. "I-I… I didn't know… I didn't mean for it to happen. But last week, I realized I'd … fallen for you. I've been falling for you for a long time now, and I can't-"

She was cut off as he suddenly rushed forward, his hands on her arms as he tugged her up. He swallowed her surprised gasp with his lips, kissing her hard as his hands traveled downward until they found purchase at her hips. Bella's hands lingered in the air, shock making her thoughts thick. Her hands finally settled on either side of his face, pulling him down to her even as he crushed her close against him.

"Edward. Edward!" she gasped breathlessly between kisses. Somehow, she managed to pull back, if only an inch, so she could look at him. "You aren't mad? Why aren't you mad?" she asked, incredulous… and trying to control the hope that was chomping at the bit, trying desperately to get free.

"Oh, I'm entirely furious," he said, grinning widely as he leaned in to pepper a dash of kisses across her nose and cheeks.

Bella laughed, the sound reedy with her growing exhilaration. "You have a very unique way of expressing anger."

He kissed her once more, sweetly, before straightening up. He kept her close against his body, his hands brushing up and down her back as he spoke. "I am angry… in principle. Injustice doesn't sit well with me, and like I said, you putting your personal feelings above my possible advancement isn't fair." He looked down at her, and his expression broke into a radiant grin. "However, I want this more."

He kissed her again then, his hands suddenly everywhere on her – sliding down her sides, tracing her curves until they reached around, cupping her ass as he pulled her tight against him. Bella's body screamed for him, pushing into the scant space between them. Her hands were splayed against his chest, her fingers itching to work the buttons of his jacket because there were far too many layers between them. Her mind was fevered, already thinking how she wanted to drag him into the backseat of one of their cars so they could make up for all the time she spent as an obedient, trustworthy teenager.

But the logical angel on her shoulder was more insistent this time, reminding her that they needed to be smarter this time around. "Edward, wait, wait," she pleaded, giving him mixed signals because she still clung to him.

Breathing raggedly, Edward paused. He closed his eyes tightly, leaning his forehead against hers while he calmed. Opening his eyes, he finally took a small step back, moving his hands up to a safer spot on her waist. Part of her was glad; she'd been aching to touch him all week and was in no rush to let go of him anytime soon.

She might have to though.

She sighed. "I'm still your boss. We can't do this while I'm your boss," she said quietly.

He looked back at her, considering this. "Okay," he said slowly. "Then I quit. Problem solved."

Bella gave him a hard look. "You can't quit," she said firmly.

He chuckled. "Bella, I don't know if you were looking around when you were at my parents' house, but do you really think unemployment is an issue for me?"

"Why were you working in the first place, especially at a job as miserable as ours?" she challenged. She couldn't help but grin at him. "And your boss is a bitch."

"She's growing on me," Edward returned, brushing her nose with his. He sighed, looking thoughtful. "I didn't really mean to stay as long as I have at that company. I wanted to work while I figured out what I wanted to do with my life. It never seemed right for me to live off my trust fund."

Bella considered her words carefully, running her fingers through the hairs on the back of his head. "I would never give up my dreams for you," she said quietly. "You can't sacrifice something important to you for me, not even if you're doing it on principle alone."

Edward took another step back, pulling her with him to sit on the bench. "You're right," he agreed. "If we're going to do this, we should do it right. So, first thing's first." He looked at her, stroking her cheek with the backs of his knuckles. His voice was low, filled with the tenderness she'd only glimpsed before. "Do you want this? Everything else aside, do you want to… pursue something with me?"

She caught his fingers, winding them with her own. "Yeah," she admitted in a whisper.

"Well," he said, bringing their joined hands to his lips so he could kiss her fingertips, "like I said, I'm not so enamored of our company that I'm desperate to stay. So, I'll start applying elsewhere, and I'll hand in my two weeks' notice as soon as possible."

He tried to kiss her again then, but she put her hand between them. It took all of her willpower, but if she didn't stop it then, it was never going to happen. "That's an acceptable option to me, if it's an acceptable option for you. But, as previously discussed, I am still your boss. And we can't do … much while I'm your boss."

"Fuck," Edward groaned, sighing and resting his head against hers. "You're going to be the death of me, Bella, I swear you will."

Giddy and insanely happy, despite the fact she'd just cockblocked herself, Bella giggled. "You'll survive, somehow. Call it motivation."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hmmm...that was deceivingly simple...
> 
> Okay, some business first. I've signed up for Fandom Fights Tsunamis...or whatever it's actually called. I'm teaming up with tellingmelies and we are providing a delightful tale taking Underworld Jasper and having him run into James from her story, No Place Like Home. If you're not familiar (and you should be, that fic is FLIPPING HILARIOUS), NPLH James is a BRAT. Now, y'all know what Jasper does with brats, don't you? Donate $5 or more and find out. If you don't want to donate, that's fine. I'm sure the outtake will eventually make it to my profile page.
> 
> Thank you to barburella and jadedandboring (who was singing in mah doc...lol). Ily both. Muchly.


	13. Sexual Relations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello my darlings. Once again life gave me a choice - review reply or give you a chapter. Since you've been without any sort of lemon for TWO WHOLE CHAPTERS, I thought I'd give you a little bit of relief. I luff you all. Trust.

"You're in a good mood," Jasper observed from the couch as Edward walked in the door Sunday afternoon.

Edward grinned at his friend. "And you are a master of stating the obvious," he returned, sitting on the couch and cheekily propping his foot up on Jasper's lap. "See, my parents ran into the chief of police on Saturday and invited him home for dinner."

"Oh?" Jasper seemed confused.

"Yes, but this is not the interesting part. The interesting part is that he brings his daughter along." Edward whistled appreciatively. "Beautiful woman. Sexy and smart. We hit it off and ended up making out in the park."

"Wait, wait. Is this a story from when you were 16?" Jasper asked, amused.

"This was yesterday, keep up," Edward returned, unable to help his wide smile.

Somehow Edward managed not to laugh watching the perplexed look on Jasper's face. Who could blame the man for being so out of sorts? The last Jasper had known, Edward was moping over Bella, and now he was making out with some mystery woman. Then a wide smile stretched across Jasper's face. "No kidding? Bella's dad is the Chief of Police in Forks?"

"Imagine that."

Edward filled in all the blanks, talking about how Bella rarely visited her father in Forks while she was growing up, instead vacationing with him for a few weeks in the summer. Because he was a cop, the University of Washington had offered a scholarship that Bella couldn't refuse, which was how she ended up stuck in Washington after all. Both Jasper and Edward had attended Northwest University.

"Here's where I get stuck, though," Edward said, growing serious. "Why didn't you tell me about the lead position?"

"I didn't want to lie to you," Jasper returned, grimacing guiltily. "Humor me a second, I'll get to the point soon. Let me ask you something. If Bella had given you the position instead, as it should have been if everything else was equal, would you have been able to maintain a professional relationship?"

Edward frowned. He'd had time to think about that. All things considered, while the idea of advancing in his job was gratifying, he'd been completely miserable having to be in the same building as her knowing he couldn't touch her. He couldn't imagine what it would have been like having to be in the same room when the desire to be with her was so intense. He wasn't so attached to his job that the pride in advancing would have overridden his desire for his boss. "Not even a little bit. I would have told her I couldn't take the position at that time."

Jasper nodded. "That's what I figured." He sighed. "I thought that she should have talked to you first, but I understood why she didn't. And I would have told you, I wanted to tell you, except that I wanted to give her a chance to do the right thing. If she'd sprung this on you, let you find out with everyone else tomorrow, or if I told you before she could, you would have felt betrayed. Maybe too betrayed to take this sliver of a chance you have. I needed to give her the chance to come to you on her own."

"Rock and a hard place all around, it seems," Edward murmured, turning Jasper's words over in his head. Finally, he smiled at his friend. "Thank you."

Jasper clapped his friend on the shoulder. "So can I assume we're going to be seeing her pretty face around here again soon?"

Frowning, Edward rolled his eyes. "Actually, she's put a moratorium on any sort of nookie until such time as I can find myself gainfully employed somewhere else."

"So the woman proves to be a she-devil after all," Jasper said, barking out a short laugh. "The job market isn't that great. I'd put good money on you not making it."

"Ye of little faith," Edward muttered, but he knew that Jasper had a point. It wasn't exactly easy to get a job. He tapped his chin.

"I know that look," Jasper said, tapping on Edward's forehead. "You're over thinking something, Cullen."

"I was just thinking about aspiration and direction. Bella has all these dreams that she's working hard to make reality. What have I done with my life?" Edward asked, his eyes abruptly troubled. "I don't know much about relationships, but I've been thinking… It's important to be equal in as many ways as possible. I want to figure out the rest of my life more than ever now because I want to be someone Bella can be proud of."

Tilting his head, Jasper studied his friend as if seeing him for the first time. "Wow, this is the real thing, isn't it?"

Edward rubbed his eyes with the heel of his palm. "I don't know, Jasper. It feels like it could be." He laughed wryly. "Suddenly I'm thinking in terms of years instead of days. It's… kind of terrifying. But even if Bella and I don't ultimately work out, I figure getting my life on some sort of track can't be a bad thing."

"Can't argue with that," Jasper admitted.

"Anyway. So, how was your weekend with Peter?" Edward asked, changing the subject.

"As it turned out, Peter didn't need my help this weekend. He was having trouble because one of his renters had a psycho ex-girlfriend showing up and being crazy. But the renter moved out this weekend so – problem solved." Jasper clucked to himself, his look far off. "Which is too bad. Their other renter – Alice – I met her on Thursday night when I stayed over." He whistled. "Edward, this chick… damn. I mean. _Damn_. The things I would do to this woman."

"Jeez," Edward laughed. "Don't get any drool on the couch."

They both lapsed into a thoughtful silence after that, before Jasper spoke again. "You know, it's been nice having something … steady for a little while." His voice was a little wistful, and Edward understood what he meant. Jasper and Edward's encounters had always been sporadic, happening with no foresight or planning whatsoever.

Before Bella, Jasper had been active on the dating scene. He saw men and women in a social setting and had a modest number of sleepovers over the years. Besides Maria, Jasper hadn't seen anyone with any degree of seriousness.

Edward's dating history was even more limited. The whole scene just didn't interest him. He'd dated a girl named Tanya when they were in college and had felt out of his depth the whole time. It was one of the reasons Jasper started dragging him along to the clubs. Between Jasper's insistence that he at least try to get laid and the fact that they'd already slept together, the two friends had found themselves participating in threesomes almost accidentally.

And now, after steadily being with the same two people for weeks running, all of that was – for the foreseeable future – over.

Edward didn't resist when Jasper tugged on his hand. The two friends knew exactly how to touch each other, communicating silently a love that wasn't romantic but still ran deep. They said goodbye to the easy, physical pleasure they'd brought each other with deep kisses, their bodies brushing as Jasper leaned over Edward on the couch.

That was how they spent most of Sunday night, ending their physical relationship the same way they began: with kisses and touches as they sat together on the couch.

**~0~**

Monday morning, Edward was still in a great mood. There was an excited hum in his blood when he and Jasper got to work, and his eyes automatically searched, trying to find Bella. She emerged from her office, somehow even more beautiful than he remembered, but, no matter how much he willed her to look up, she didn't so much as flinch as she walked by him.

Edward tried not to let it bother him. She'd been with Marcus when she passed, and they were supposed to be playing it cool. Still, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment. But shortly after she disappeared back into her office his cell phone chimed.

_**Find a new job yet?** _

He grinned at the phone and quickly typed out a reply.

**No. I can still quit.**

_**No.** _

**Please?**

_**No** _ **!** _**Get to work. Your boss isn't paying you to text.** _

The day passed slowly, and he didn't see much of Bella. Jasper had confided that they were finishing up interviews to fill the new positions Marcus had created.

Finally, a message from Bella popped up on his screen. It called all four of her team members to one of the small conference rooms down the hall.

Bella was already at the head of the conference table when they filed in. Jasper took a seat to her right, and Edward sat beside him. Mike and Bree sat on the opposite side.

Edward doodled idly on the notebook he'd brought, trying very hard not to ogle. Even out of the corner of his eye, he was very aware of Bella. He wanted to watch her and smile, knowing that it was him she chose - or would soon choose. But eventually, he couldn't help but look up, and when he did, as if she felt his eyes on her, her eyes rose up off her paper, landing on his. He loved the way her cheeks tinted pink and her lips quirked up before she looked back down at her paperwork.

Clearing her throat, Bella got down to business. It was a little easier to pay attention as she outlined the new responsibilities of the group and the restructuring around the new hires they would meet the following week.

"In order to effectively manage such a large group, I'm pleased to announce that Jasper has been promoted to a lead position within the department."

Mike and Bree registered shock. Edward clapped Jasper on the shoulder.

"Did I miss a memo? When were the interviews for this position?" Bree asked, her tone indignant.

Bella's answering smile was tight. "No interviews. It was a choice placed at my discretion. Jasper was my choice." Her tone left no room for argument, and Bree backed down.

Though he kept a placid look on his face as the meeting continued, Edward felt the stirrings of jealousy and ire in the pit of his stomach. It was one thing to understand why a decision had been made, and what he told Bella was true: if he had to choose between a promotion and a chance to be with her, he would take door number two every time. That didn't mean that being overlooked when he knew he deserved the position felt good. In fact, the way Mike kept throwing glances at him over the conference table was really getting on his nerves.

Edward tried to be quick, getting back to his desk and back to work, but Mike was nothing if not dogged. Even when Edward put his headphones on, Mike tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.

"I gotta tell you, man," Mike started, speaking in a low voice as he leaned in close to Edward, "if I were you, I'd be in there crying bullshit."

"What are you talking about?" Edward asked, keeping his tone dismissive.

Mike looked skeptical. "Me and Bree not getting the position I understand. And I know Jasper is pretty well qualified but not like you. This is - or was, I guess - a tiny department. It's not like I'm paying that much attention to you, but it's hard not to know the numbers when it's just the four of us. You're more senior, your numbers are better and you know more than the three of us put together. We all come to you if we have questions - even Jasper."

Edward didn't answer right away, torn because part of him wanted to defend Bella and Jasper, but he had to admit that his pride was wounded. It was obvious to Mike, and probably to Bree too, that he'd been slighted. After all that had happened, he had to take it quietly.

Finally, he shrugged, looking up at Mike with a practiced air of nonchalance. "See, my parents did me the favor of teaching me that life isn't always fair, Mike." Edward let that hang in the air for a few moments. "And if you find yourself unappreciated, perhaps it's time to find a better fit elsewhere." He waggled his eyebrows significantly at the other man before turning back to his work.

It was the end of the day before Edward felt his irritation begin to ebb. He shouldn't have been surprised that, as soon as he'd decided to get over it, Bree mysteriously appeared by his desk. "So what do you make of this, huh?"

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose and breathed out slowly. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, does it seem strange to you that there wasn't any announcement that this position was open? That's not the way it's worked before," she said conspiratorially.

Edward busied himself gathering his things to leave. "It might seem strange if we didn't have a new president. I don't know if you noticed but a lot of things are changing."

Bree snickered. "Maybe. And maybe Jasper found a way to melt the Ice Queen a little bit."

"Good night, Bree," Edward said bluntly, moving around her and making a beeline toward the exit.

Angry all over again, Edward stormed down the hall. As he rounded a corner, he almost barreled into Bella, his hands going out automatically to steady her.

And for a moment his emotions warred. She was the boss he hated, she was the woman he adored. She'd been the source of so much frustration, she made him happier than he could remember being.

Bella stepped out of his arms quickly, her eyes darting to where Marcus stood only a few feet away. "I suggest you watch where you're going Mr. Cullen," she said sharply.

Edward's eyes narrowed, and he chuffed lightly. "My apologies, Miss Swan," he bit out, stepping around her and making for the exit as quickly as his feet could carry him without breaking into a run.

Luckily, Jasper was out of the building only a minute later. He didn't say a word as Edward peeled out of the parking lot.

"You going to be alright?" Jasper asked, his voice unassuming.

Somehow, Jasper's mere presence, and the note of sympathy inherent in his words, had a calming effect on Edward. He sighed. "I'll be fine."

When they got home, Jasper took off immediately, saying he had some errands to run. That left Edward to brood in the living room, pretending he was interested in whatever was on the TV.

It wasn't that he was angry, really. It just felt unjust in so many ways. Now, on top of being passed over for the position, he had to hide the fact that he was completely enamored with his direct superior. He found he didn't really like being the dirty little secret, no matter how temporary.

The doorbell rang, distracting Edward from his internal monologue. With a sigh, he went to answer it.

Bella stood on his doorstep, and Edward blinked hard, trying to figure out why this felt surreal. "Hi," he said automatically, struck a little dumb with shock.

"Hey," she returned softly. For some reason he couldn't figure, she seemed nervous. "Can I come in?"

"Uh, yeah," Edward said, stepping aside to admit her.

He was unsure what game they were supposed to be playing. The last he'd checked, they were supposed to be pretending they meant nothing to each other. Part of him wanted to reach out and pull her roughly against him because he didn't think he could ever be close enough to her, but the wrong employee in him still harbored something of a grudge anyway.

Brushing by her, Edward went to sit on the couch. "So, what's up?" he asked, struggling to keep his voice even.

It occurred to Edward that Bella's entire body was tense with apprehension. Her eyes were cast downward and her hands clasped pensively in front of her as she came to stand before him. He could see she was biting her lip. "I, um..." she started, obviously struggling. "I think... given the circumstances... I think I deserve... to be punished for what I did to you," she finally managed to blurt.

Edward didn't know if he'd heard right. Was she really suggesting what he thought she was suggesting? And then there was the tremble in her voice and the way her hands shook slightly as she wrung them fitfully.

It took him a minute to figure out why she seemed so nervous. He imagined, at first, that she was scared of him - scared that he might take his anger out on her. The very idea of that made him sick, and he almost asked if she was crazy. Then he realized that her nervousness wasn't borne out of any sort of mistrust in him. She still trusted him entirely with her body. No, she realized her fear stemmed from her vulnerability.

Always, when she had come to his home, she'd been someone else. It was easy to have courage when they were playing a scene - whether she was the submissive with two masters or the grown woman in a school girl costume, she could leave every inhibition she had at the door. But now she was still dressed in her pantsuit from work. Her hair was still back in the bun he saw every work day.

It wasn't the person she pretended to be to let off steam. This was her - completely unadulterated. He understood that what she was giving him was control. She was trusting him not only with her body, but with herself.

It balanced them out, he realized. The power she'd taken away from him in the workplace she was giving him back in private.

Decided, he reached out, unbuttoning her pants as he spoke. "I believe you're right, my dear. You've been a very bad girl, haven't you?"

Bella's breath caught as he yanked her pants and panties down to her ankles. "Yes, sir," she squeaked in a tiny voice. His long fingers wrapped around her wrist and he guided her to his side as he sat up straight. Her body went willingly as he tugged her down over his knees.

He started to spank her right away, quick, hard smacks that had Bella yelping in surprise. "See, you are a grown woman, who should be able to act professionally, aren't you?"

"Yes," she gasped, her breath hitching as he continued to spank her.

"But you didn't do that today, did you?" he asked, his voice authoritative.

"No," she answered, her voice wavering.

She started crying then, and Edward knew it couldn't have been because he was hurting her. She'd withstood far worse pain without tears. He watched her pert, perfect ass turn from alabaster to pink, from dusty rose to bright red under his palm as she sobbed out her guilt and shame. And as he spanked her, a rift - small and innocuous as it was - that had begun to spring up between them closed and healed. He could see she truly hadn't wanted to hurt him.

Even after he stopped spanking her, Bella kept crying. Edward rubbed her hot ass and back, thinking how much he adored this woman as he waited for her to quiet.

After a few moments, Bella pulled herself upright. She quickly straddled his lap, throwing her arms around him and laying her head on his shoulder as she got a handle on herself. Edward rocked them slightly, just enjoying being able to hold her.

"I'm sorry," Bella sniffled, her face buried at his neck. "I'm really sorry."

"Shhhh," Edward stroked her hair comfortingly. "I know." He brushed her hair away from her neck, pressing soft kisses there. With his hand under her chin, he raised her face to look at him. He smiled at her, wiping away her tears with the back of his hand.

She caught his hand, pressing it against her cheek. Then she turned her head to kiss his palm. Their eyes met and her vulnerability faded. For long moments he simply marveled at the woman he held in his arms. She was his equal in so many ways - his better in others, and she was worth the relatively minor inconvenience of a job search and an injured ego.

Bella's hands touched his neck, her fingers stroking the space behind his ears as she leaned in, kissing him full on his lips. Edward moaned at the simultaneous sensations - her fingers titillating his skin, her tongue sliding into his mouth as her mouth moved with his and the way she began to move on his lap... He was suddenly hyper aware that Bella was nude from the waist down, and he was still hard.

Reaching between them, Edward started to undo the buttons of his pants, but Bella caught his hands. Releasing his lips, she kissed the tip of his chin. She continued to pepper kisses across his face as she slid off of him, kneeling on the floor before him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his mind feeling thick and heady because he couldn't think beyond the lust that clouded his every thought.

She said nothing but looked up at him from under her long lashes with a small smirk as her fingers worked the button of his pants. He groaned, his hips bucking slightly against her as her palm found his hard length. Then it was his pants pooling at his ankles as she took his cock into her mouth.

Edward could honestly say he'd never experienced such an intimate blow job in all of his life. There was the way her eyes found his as her lips slipped up and down his cock. The silent intensity that crackled in the air between them seemed to heighten all of his senses, making the pleasure of her mouth on him increase tenfold. His hands were on her face, tracing the line of her lips, stroking her cheeks and running his fingers through her hair. He was used to rough blow jobs - grasping and pulling and fucking the mouth of the man or woman on their knees before him. This was different, and while Edward knew he could be rough with her, right then he didn't want to - not just then anyway.

So he murmured sweet words between pants and moans, telling her how beautiful she was, how sexy. He wanted to tell her that he loved her, because there could be no other word for the overwhelming happiness and adoration he felt at the very center of his being, but he didn't want to say those words for the first time while he was getting his dick sucked.

Instead, her name tumbled from his lips with a gasp as he came, his hands clamped down on her shoulders.

It was a minute or so before he could see straight again but when his eyes found her, Edward couldn't help but groan. "Pants on?" he asked plaintively, watching her as she zipped her pants back up.

She only smiled at him, and Edward sighed as he reluctantly hauled his pants back up. He was slightly assuaged when she sat back down on his lap, winding her arms around him. "I wanted to make you feel good," she murmured, nuzzling his cheek with her nose.

"You did," he assured, running his hands up and down her back. "You should let me return the favor."

"No," Bella said firmly. "Nothing's changed. We still need to be good until we're in the clear."

"Not that I'm complaining," he murmured, pressing gentle kisses to the side of her head, "but what made you change your mind about keeping away entirely?"

Bella sighed, turning her head so she could catch his kisses. "You have no idea how hard it is to stay away from you," she said against his lips. "I knew you were upset, and I wanted to go to you."

"But it's against the rules," Edward finished her thought.

"Right. But then Jasper told me to learn from his and Maria's mistakes. It's important for my job that I maintain a level of professionalism with the people under me. But my life can't just center around one thing – I can't be just one thing. As your boss I had to make a decision that best benefited both the company and the team." She smiled at him, stroking his cheek gently. "But what kind of girlfriend would I be if I wasn't here to comfort you when you got the shaft at work?"

Hearing her acknowledge their relationship in such a way sent a thrill through Edward. He felt a great joy, and reveled in the certainty that she was his. Unable to help himself, Edward pulled her close, his hands firm on her back as he kissed her hungrily. "Let's talk more about this shaft."

She laughed lightly, returning his kisses for a moment before wiggling out of his arms. Edward groaned, trying not to pout when she got off his lap and put a little space between them. "So. How's the job market?" she asked, smiling sweetly.

Edward chuffed. "How should I know? Turns out, my girlfriend is very distracting."

"Excuses," Bella chided. "Bill Clinton ran an entire country while getting his dick sucked."

Groaning again, Edward leaned in, closing the space between them. "For the record, you saying dick is doing nothing to help me concentrate," he said, kissing her because he just couldn't help himself.

She sighed happily into his mouth, her hands on his face. "You know how much I appreciate a multi-tasker."

**~0~**

"Working after hours?"

Jasper looked up as Edward sat opposite him at the kitchen table. It was Friday evening and Jasper still hadn't put away the papers he'd brought home from the office. Edward looked amused. Jasper just sighed. "I'm not  _really_ working. I was just looking over the background check of one of the new hires."

"Something shady?" Edward asked, concerned.

"No. He passed the drug test. Nothing bad on his record..." Jasper hedged.

"So what's the problem?"

"Being completely honest? I really don't know. Just a gut feeling, I guess. There was just this... vibe I got from him during the interview. Like, all the words he was saying were great, but there's just something off," Jasper tried to explain. He shuffled through the paperwork again, searching for one in particular. "Does he look familiar to you?"

Edward pulled the paper Jasper proffered over to his side of the table. It was a print out. Riley Biers had been one of the first people interviewed and was the second one hired. He'd come in that Friday to fill out paperwork and get his picture taken for his employee badge. It was that picture Jasper gave to Edward.

"Hmmm. You're right. I feel like we've seen him before, but I don't remember the name," Edward said after a moment. He shrugged and looked back up at Jasper. "Even if we knew him, it can't be that bad if we don't remember," he reasoned.

Something about that didn't sit well with Jasper, but what could he do but let it go? "So, anyway, got anything planned for the weekend?"

Resting his elbows on the table, Edward got a far-away look in his eyes. "I do, actually. I'm going to Bella's place tomorrow." He rolled his eyes. "She insists on going back and doing the typical getting to know you dating scene except, of course, we can't be like a normal couple because we can't take the risk someone from work is going to run into us. And you know it would happen, man."

"Murphy's Law," Jasper agreed.

"Right, so we're doing dinner and a movie at her house," Edward finished.

Jasper couldn't help but smirk. "And no sex?" he clarified.

Edward looked up and Jasper could see the mischief in his emerald eyes. "Depends on your definition of sex."

"Oh, God. Please don't tell me this involves a cigar."

"Get with the times. We've moved on to more sophisticated things," Edward chided. "What about you?"

Grinning lopsidedly, Jasper leaned back in his chair, his hands behind his head. "You know me. Up to no good."

Edward smiled. "Some things never change."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: We're winding down folks. There's a bit more drama in our future, but it won't take me that many more chapters to wrap up. Perhaps 3 or 4. Max.
> 
> Thank you to jadedandboring and barburella. Still don't understand why they're so good to me. And thanks to you - trust that I read and adore all of your reviews. You keep me writing.


	14. The Only Song I Want To Hear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Bla bla bla bla life. I really am sorry about the review situation. I'm hoping, now that I've whittled down my responsibilities, I can get back to review replying. I do appreciate and adore every single one. Anyway. Onward.

Edward and Bella managed to make it through dinner keeping their hands to themselves. It was easier than Edward had expected. The physical pull he felt toward Bella was strong, but tempered as he got lost in conversation with her. They spoke of music, and Edward made a mental catalog of the bands she mentioned, thinking that he would like to take her to a concert once they could be together out in the open

It was strange, how he slipped into the role of the doting boyfriend. He had a better understanding of the grandiose gestures he'd often seen men and women make when they were in love. It was just another form of expression. His complete adoration of this woman was too much to keep inside him. He could kiss her and touch her reverently, but it still didn't feel like enough. He sincerely doubted he would be satisfied even if he could carve her name on the side of the moon.

Still, Edward knew enough of Bella to understand that many of the ideas that popped into his head would not go over well. Certainly, all the cliché ones were out – no bed of roses or heart-shaped pendants for his girl.

As he'd watched her from afar that week, he'd plotted. An idea occurred to him a few days before that he enjoyed on many levels. If it worked, he would both express his love for her and bring her pleasure.

Though he definitely enjoyed talking with her, Edward was very aware of the growing need in him to touch her – more than just the casual way he had his arm draped around her now. He didn't even know what movie she put on, he was too busy trying to resist the urge to pull her to him or push her down, enveloping her with his body. She'd wanted a normal date, and he certainly wouldn't have been trying to grope her if they'd been able to go to the theater.

Unless… she was into that.

Which, knowing Bella, she probably was.

Edward was trying to squelch the sudden fantasy that was brewing in his head – covert theater sex – when he felt a hand on his thigh. Looking down, he found Bella's eyes not on the television screen, but on him. It was all the permission he needed. He tilted his head down. Soon they were making out like teenagers, pressed into the cushions of the couch.

"We can't do this," Bella argued when he stood, sweeping her up into his arms. It was a weak protest given that she wrapped her arms around his neck and continued nipping along his chin.

"I remember the rules," Edward murmured, as he carried her to the bedroom. Laying her down, he rested a hand on her knee, brushing his fingers along the inside of her thigh. "No part of me," he recited dutifully in an almost sing-song voice as his hands crept up her leg, "goes in any part of you," he finished, teasing her as he brushed his fingers over her panty-covered center.

At his touch, her legs automatically parted, her hips rising slightly, craving more. Bella whimpered, her breath staggered as she tried to calm. "Edward..." she protested with no more than a wane whisper when he hooked his fingers at the top of her panties and began to drag them down. "What are you..."

"Shh," he soothed, kissing her lips to silence her protests. "I'm bending the rules, not breaking them," he promised.

He reached beside the bed, where he had stashed the items he'd brought earlier. He rested the first item – his iPod – on her stomach. Bella looked bemused as he put the earbuds in her ears. "You'll see," he chuckled, answering her unasked question. He found the playlist he needed and lay beside her. "Close your eyes," he whispered, his hand lightly trailing the length of her body. As he stroked and kissed her, his hand traveling lower, he used his legs to ease hers further open until her left leg was draped akimbo over his. "Listen to the music," he directed, pressing the play button on the iPod.

He continued to kiss her, peppering her face with light, little pecks, as his hands attached the toy he'd stumbled across earlier that week. It was called an OhMiBod – a vibrator that, when hooked up to an iPod, would pulsate in time to the music being played.

It had been his project, all that week, to find just the combination of songs that both conveyed his message and would build and bring her orgasm. The songs he picked began soft and steady: 311's version of Love Song playing as he passed the vibrator along the length of her slit.

Bella gasped, her lips parting as she realized what was happening. Her eyes flew open, finding his and he smiled softly at her. "Close your eyes," he mouthed. He wanted her to get lost in the music, literally feeling the intention behind the words and the tone as it was translated through the pulse of the vibrator.

The music was loud enough that, with his head against hers, Edward could hear the strains and let the rhythm direct his hands. He worked the vibrator into her slowly, moving it in time to the music as he used his mouth to kiss, nip and lick from the skin behind her ear to the base of her neck. The songs he chose picked up pace, going from tender love tunes to fast beats that communicated the more urgent, physical pull he felt for her body. By then her hips were thrusting, moving with the music and his hand as he moved the vibrator in and out of her. And, Jesus Christ… the beautiful litany of noises she was making. It was another kind of music that stirred and stimulated his body, making his cock painfully hard in his pants.

When she came, he was leaning over her, his body pressed against hers, his hand between her legs, pushing the vibrator deep inside her, and his mouth catching the screams of her orgasm as his lips moved on hers.

He pulled back and found her eyes, hooded and slightly glazed, on him. With trembling hands she yanked the earbuds out of her ears, pushing the iPod to the side before she pulled him down to her. "I love you," she whispered, her voice barely there as she kissed him repeatedly. "I love you."

She pushed him then until he was on his back and she was straddling his waist.

"Bella," he warned, panting as she pushed his pants down his legs.

"Fuck rules," she said, her voice firm and commanding. It was one direction he wasn't going to have any trouble following.

Later, when they were both sated, Edward was drowsing with his head on Bella's chest, content as he listened tot he steady beat of her heart. Her fingers traced lazy circles through his hair, making Edward feel like purring.

When he chanced a glance up at her, Edward was surprised to find that she looked...worried.

"Where are you?" Edward asked, raising his hand to trace the furrowed skin between her eyes. He pressed down, smoothing it out with his fingertip, and Bella smiled, her eyes finding his again. "You know, I'm supposed to bet he worry-wart in this relationship."

"Oh, is that how it is?" Bella asked, her voice amused.

"I'm good at it. Trust me," Edward responded wryly. He amused himself briefly, playing with the fine hairs on her perfectly groomed eyebrow. He chuckled under his breath when he saw the look in her eyes. "You seem skeptical. You don't think I'm a worrier?"

Her hands felt delicious as they splayed against his chest. "Just... you were so nonchalant about quitting..." He grabbed her hand in his, bringing her fingers to his lips as he waited for her to continue. "Sometimes I wonder... how serious this all is to you."

He froze, unable to move while he tried to process her words. He raised his eyes to hers, his expression confused and grave. Was she doubting the intentions behind his actions earlier that evening - perhaps second guessing her interpretation of the songs he'd played for her? "Bella," he began, moving his hands to her back so he could gather her close to him. He tangled their legs, possessing as much of her with his larger body as he could without being inside of her. "I told you. I am much more concerned with us than with a job I really just wandered into because I had nothing better to do."

He thought for a moment, stroking her back just to enjoy the sensation of her skin beneath his fingers. "I've never worried about money. Even if my name was besmirched among every business in Seattle, I'd be fine." He raised a hand, his fingers reverently caressing her cheek as he poured every ounce of sincerity into his tone. "It's you I worry about. You have no idea how much it kills me that what we're doing is putting your entire future at stake. I wish, so much, that I could change that. I wish you'd let me quit so this... us... couldn't hurt you."

"If we weren't important to me, I would let you quit in a heartbeat," Bella said softly. She sighed, and they shifted together so she was draped mostly across his chest. "Are you worried about anything else besides me?"

"Of course," Edward responded instantly, twirling her hair in his fingers. "I have the same doubts you do. I'm just as experienced as you are at real relationships, which is to say not very. And… I worry that I won't be able to please you," he admitted sheepishly.

Bella propped herself up on her arms to look at him. "What?" She studied his face with arched eyebrows. "Are you being serious right now?"

Resisting the urge to squirm – she was using the 'what did you do now, Cullen?' voice he'd gotten to know so well. "Come on. First of all, I'm only one man."

Groaning, Bella rolled away from him, staring at the ceiling with a glare that made Edward very nervous. She breathed deeply before she spoke. "I'm not… I'm not an insatiable whore, you know."

"What? Bella-" Edward began, but she cut him off.

"I told you before… you and Jasper were the first threesome I've ever had, and I only did that because I trusted you and-"

"Bella!" he interrupted, putting a hand over her mouth. Her eyes were narrowed, and Edward had a hard time not laughing at the irritated expression on her face. "That is not what I meant. I mean your… um… adventurous proclivities. I don't know if I can satisfy them, and I worry I won't be enough for you."

"Wait...what?" Bella blinked at him.

"Maybe it's ridiculous -"

"Maybe?"

"-but you do realize I'd have a lot of trouble...seriously hurting you, right? There's a reason that I only play those types of games with Jasper."

Bella threw her hand over her eyes, giggling in earnest.

"Hey!" Edward protested, a little hurt. "It can be a serious issue amongst couples. I've read these things."

"Baby," she said between titters, "you have to stop reading Cosmopolitan magazine."

He scowled at her with faux seriousness. "Are you mocking me, woman?"

Sitting up in bed, Bella smirked at him. "Maybe," she taunted.

He sat up so fast, Bella didn't even have time to process his movements before he'd grabbed her and hauled her over his lap. He smacked her ass, grinning to himself as she squealed in surprise. He teased her then, alternating between spanking her and probing the moist, sweet spots between her legs eliciting whimpers and moans until she was begging him to just let her come, god, please, please, Edward.

And, when he was satisfied she'd learned her lesson, he flipped her over, trailing kisses down her writhing body until he reached her hot center. Then, his mouth on her, he licked and suckled until she screamed his name.

**~0~**

Jasper found himself unnaturally flustered.

A couple of weeks before, when he had to escape Edward to keep from spilling the beans about his new position, Jasper had sought refuge at Peter's house. It killed two birds with one stone anyway. Peter was having trouble with his tenant – James. Jasper had wanted to scope the situation out, see if he could help in some way.

He'd arrived to find that James was almost all packed up. He wanted to escape Victoria's shrill voice as much as Peter and Charlotte did. Jasper stayed the night, helping the couple celebrate with copious quantities of alcohol.

He'd literally been head over heels – though why he'd decided that sitting on the couch upside down was a good idea was lost on him at that point – when Alice walked into the room.

From his vantage point, Jasper first met her shoes. They caught his attention because they were white and black chucks with one distinction: every inch of white space had been covered with bright, pretty colors. It was as if she'd taken a painting and wrapped it around her foot.

In the words of the great Keanu Reeves, Jasper's analysis of the unusual footwear came out as, "Whoa."

There was a tinkling chuckle and a face came into his line of vision as the woman bent down, tilting her head at him. "I'll take that as a compliment," she said easily.

The features of her face were fine, as if patiently carved by a master sculptor. The curve of her mischievous grin was utterly beguiling. Her eyes were brown and deep – like Bella's except with an added air of mystery.

Of course, Jasper fell right on his head in his scramble to get himself upright. It was almost worth his embarrassment to hear her laughter again.

Chortling, Peter had thrown himself down on the sofa beside him. "Jasper Whitlock, meet Alice Brandon."

Since then, Jasper hadn't been able to get her out of his head. Knowing Edward was in Forks, Jasper had returned home on Saturday. He tried to distract himself with a visit to Underworld. That had ended up somewhat bizarrely, but that was another kettle of fish. At least it had distracted him from thoughts of the petite, raven-haired woman.

Jasper had no idea what had come over him and he found himself completely out of his depth.

In college, after his brief experimentation with his consummate roommate, Jasper had stumbled into the party scene. It was no secret that anyone who went to those parties was likely looking for sex, and Jasper had no trouble getting laid. He was naturally charismatic and a quick learner.

His one relationship – with Maria – had been instigated by her. She made him feel good, and convinced him to give commitment a try. He'd honestly cared for her, and they did try, but ultimately had each had an equal hand in destroying their relationship. Jasper wasn't bitter. It was a good experience for the most part, and besides that, Maria had brought him to the world of BDSM, introducing him to Underworld among a litany of other things.

Then, of course, anyone in Underworld was either looking for sex or there to hang out with people who felt the same way about sex as they did.

So Jasper wasn't quite sure what it was he wanted to do with Alice. All he knew was that there was more of a pull – a desire – there than he'd felt with any person he'd been attracted to outside of the club. He obviously wasn't going to stride up and proposition her outright, and yet he couldn't just let it go as he had so many times in the past when he ran into an attractive woman.

He'd visited Peter more in the last two weeks than he had in the last two years combined.

Bored that Friday, with Edward going over to Bella's house, Jasper had innocently texted Peter, wondering if he was interested in a poker night.

**Sure, but just so you know, Alice isn't here.**

Jasper grimaced at his phone. "Asshole." Feigning ignorance to why Peter mentioned Alice, Jasper went over anyway.

Peter and Charlotte were always good for fun. Despite being submissive in bed, Charlotte was very forward with her flirtations. Over the last few weeks, she'd made no secret of the fact that she still found the idea of watching Peter do dirty things with Jasper very sexy. She was also obnoxiously good at poker. Given that, Jasper should not have been surprised when she had them both over a barrel by the end of the night.

That was how Peter ended up on his lap. The two men were making out as Charlotte watched and directed. Peter was a good kisser; he always had been. So Jasper was quite caught up in the other man's lips and the way he ground his ass against his groin when he heard that delightful, musical laugh.

Startled, Jasper nearly dropped Peter as he looked up, finding Alice watching the scene with her arms crossed and an amused gleam in her eyes. She clucked, shaking her head as he looked at Peter. "See, Petey, why don't you ever invite me to the fun parties?"

Her eyes flitted to Jasper then, and she winked. Jasper felt his mouth go dry.

"You're welcome to join us now, baby," Peter said, grinning.

Alice tapped her chin, then shrugged as Charlotte handed her a bottle of beer. "Well, since it seems like you've got the best seat in the house, I suppose I'll take this one," she said in mock resignation as she sat on Charlotte's lap.

"Gee, thanks," Charlotte said dryly, then giggled drunkenly, kissing the other woman while Jasper and Peter gaped. Breaking the kiss, Charlotte looked back to the boys. "Excuse me. Did I tell you to stop? You two have a debt to work off."

Alice looked right at Jasper again, her grin lascivious. "Oh, yes. Please don't let me interrupt you."

Watching her tongue dart out over her lips, Jasper had to swallow a groan.

It was going to be an interesting night.

**~0~**

Edward did not like the new hires.

Well, no. That was unfair. He disliked  _most_ of the new hires.

Aside from being introduced to them earlier that morning during a brief team meeting, Edward hadn't actually gotten to know any of the newbies. He had, however, noticed the way a few of the men undressed Bella with their eyes. Every time one of them leaned in close, invading her bubble space to ask a question, his teeth gnashed.

She was as aloof as ever, and Edward had to remind himself that first, it wasn't his job to beat the shit out of anyone who so much as looked at her inappropriately and second, she was more than capable of taking care of herself. The men stepping into her bubble space, leaning too close, got cold glares as she stepped away and answered them, consummately professional.

But adding to his stress was Riley Biers. Outwardly, he seemed polite. There was just something that bugged Edward about the man. There was something in the cocky smile he sometimes wore, almost condescending when he spoke to her even though his words and tone were respectful.

Try as he might, Edward couldn't place where he knew the kid from. It made him nervous because Underworld was a definite possibility. It was a ridiculous notion. After all, if he had seen Riley in Underworld, then the other man would have the same secret he did. And Edward wasn't ashamed of his sexual proclivities. It wasn't anyone else's business, but he knew he wouldn't be destroyed if Bree and Mike found out he played with whips and rope.

But Bella would. Unfair as it was, her career and therefore her life, might suffer. But even then – Bella had obviously gone to Underworld of her own volition. She knew the risks.

Edward was taking out his frustrations on his keyboard when Mike meandered over. "Whoa, Edward. Are you okay?"

Feeling a flash of irritation, Edward forced himself to take a deep breath before he snapped at Mike. "I'm fine. Clients are being assholes. You know how it is," he said, forcing a shrug.

Mike nodded sympathetically. "I feel ya. I was about to take a walk around the building. Join me, would you?"

That caught Edward's attention. Mike was friendly, but they had never had break or lunch together. Edward looked up, curious, and found that the other man was looking at him with a significant expression. Edward nodded slowly. "Okay, sure."

When they were safely outside the building, Mike got straight to the point. "How's the job search coming?"

Edward glanced at Mike out of the corner of his eye, suspicious as to why he wanted to know, but then let that go because he couldn't figure how it would hurt to talk about. "Lined up a few interviews this week, submitted my resume… you know the drill."

Mike nodded. "Do you know Newton's Outfitters?"

"Course," Edward said, snorting softly. "I grew up in Forks. My family went hiking all the time. We got our stuff from there when it was just a single store. Now they've gone incorporated."

"It's a good set up," the other man commented. "A new company means plenty of room for advancement."

"What are you getting at, Mike?" His patience was paper thin today.

"It's just that I happen to know there's an opening you'd be perfect for. Good pay, good benefits... I think you'd fit well there, too," Mike said easily.

"If it's so great why don't you take it?" Edward knew Mike was not so enamored of his position – especially with Bella being his boss – that he wouldn't consider other possibilities.

"Oh, you know," Mike answered, his tone a touch sardonic. "The usual bullshit about proving myself without my father's help."

Edward stopped short. "No kidding. Your dad is Mr. Newton?" He realized, as the words were tumbling out of his mouth, that he didn't know the man's first name. But Mr. Newton was well known in town since Newton Outfitters was one of the few places that high school students could work.

"No, my dad is Mr. Smith," Mike joked, rolling his eyes.

"You know what I mean," Edward said with a laugh. "Why didn't you grow up in Forks?"

Mike shrugged. "Lived with my Mom and California. Dad bribed me with college money if I came up here and then I met Jessica and... well, you fill in the blanks."

"Stuck for life," Edward concluded.

"Right. So I can put in a good word for you."

Edward thought it over. The idea of getting help from Mike didn't exactly feel great, but it wasn't horrible either. Besides, he was fairly desperate to get a new job so he could put in his two weeks notice. The sooner that he and Bella could exist in the world outside their bedrooms, the better. "Okay," he agreed finally. "That sounds great."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: jadedandboring and barburella - I would be nothing without these two. Well, you know...I'd be sad.
> 
> You may have noticed Jasper mentioned that he distracted himself alone at Underworld. In fact, he had an encounter. With James. Not James, Peter and Charlotte's former tenant, but James Cullen of No Place Like Home by tellingmelies. My girl tellingmelies writes the most hysterical James I have ever read, and as previously mentioned, he is a brat. If you want to find out how that all went, you can find out by donating to the Red Cross. Sending a receipt of your donation to the Fandom Fights Tsunami people will earn you a compilation of stories from 300 different writers.
> 
> Eventually - in July, I believe - this outtake will be made available here, so don't worry if you can't donate.
> 
> So...what are we thinking?


	15. Free At Last

A couple of months ago, Marcus had warned her that when things began to change, they would change quickly. She'd had no idea, at the time, how far those changes would stretch.

It wasn't just about work, though a lot had changed there. She had a team of 12 instead of a team of four. She had a boss who actually listened to her ideas, discussing them and developing the ones he found valuable. Where before, she'd held the responsibility of both keeping her team in line and getting the most out of them on her own, she now had Jasper to help keep all her balls in the air. She could finally be less of a bitch to her employees, like she'd always wanted.

Her personal life was practically unrecognizable. Before, she'd had the occasional girls night out with Angela, she now had an amazing boyfriend and a good friend in Jasper.

She just wished Edward and Jasper's lives hadn't changed so drastically as well.

"I don't like the idea of displacing you," Bella argued with Jasper after the blond haired man announced his intention to move out at the end of the month. It was just the two of them on opposite sides of the couch. Bella had spent the night, and Edward had plans to go out with his brother. Jasper had invited her to stay for lunch so they could talk. "This is your home. You shouldn't have to move out because of me."

Jasper offered her a grin, popping a chip into his mouth and leaning back in his seat. "Listen, doll. Despite the fact that he likes – liked – me to push him around in the bedroom, Edward is very much an alpha male. You don't see the small changes in our relationship, but I do. The fact I'm not interested you...uh... romantically is beside the point. I have seen you naked. I very much enjoyed seeing you naked. But now you're my best friend's girl. It hasn't caused drama yet, but it might. Someday."

"It doesn't have to-" she started to argue, but Jasper placed his hand over hers, silencing her with a look.

"An ounce of prevention," he said softly. "My friendship with Edward is worth a little bit of trouble. Besides, except for a short time I was with Maria, he and I have been roommates forever. We got into a rut, and since all that is changing on his side as it is, I might as well go with the flow."

Bella smiled at him and tilted her head, her eyes teasing. "I suppose your eagerness to move has nothing to do with the other tenant, hmm?"

Jasper snickered. "Peter and Charlotte – my dear friends – have a room that needs to be rented. Is it my fault that Alice lives there too? Besides, what you really wanna be worried about is what you and Edward are going to do."

"What do you mean?" Bella asked, confused.

He gave her a wicked grin. "Almost everything in the basement is mine," he said with a wink. He laughed at the dismayed expression on her face. "Maybe I'll buy you two lovebirds a ping-pong table."

"Not a bad idea," Bella said, smiling sweetly. "After all, it does come with paddles."

**~0~**

"Newton's Outfitters?" Bella said softly, turning Edward's official two-weeks' notice over and over in her hands. She was surprised because the name was new to her. Usually, Edward told her about the companies he was applying to and interviewing for.

"Mike Newton's father owns the company," Edward said easily. "He's the one that told me about the position."

Bella bit her bottom lip, considering. She knew Edward and Mike weren't exactly the best of friends. Looking up, she took he glasses off so she could look Edward in the eye with no barriers. "Are you sure you're not settling, Edward? I mean," her voice got lower, as if someone could hear them through the closed door, "we've waited this long. You don't have to take the first job offered just so we can be together publicly."

His answering smirk made her heart do a little pitter-patter and she had to struggled to maintain the seriousness of her expression as he looked up at her from beneath his lashes. "Bella, working here was settling," he reminded, and she couldn't help but snicker. "It's just a job - something to make me a productive member of society until I figure out what I really want to do with my life.

"Besides, I knew Mr. Newton from back in the day. His first shop was in Forks and now he's got a global headquarters here in Seattle. I admire that kind of thing," he said sincerely.

Bella grinned at him, feeling the warmth of pride at the center of her being. Since they'd been together - even unofficially - he'd made great personal strides. Working for someone he could look up to was definitely not going to hurt. She'd often thought his potential was wasted here because the Volturi brothers ran their company in way that spoke volumes of how closed minded they were to new ways of thinking. It was getting better with Marcus, but still. A newer company just being shaped was ideal for Edward.

Setting down his letter, Bella put her glasses back on, sitting up straight and clearing her throat. "Well, Mr. Cullen, I must say it will be a shame losing you." She offered him her hand and he took it, squeezing and holding it more than was professionally necessary. A smile tugged at her lips. "I wish you the best of luck in the future."

He chuckled. "Something tells me I'm going to need it."

**~0~**

"Edward, I have a problem," Jasper announced dramatically as Edward walked in the door.

"I'm sorry, do you live here?" Edward asked wryly. He was a little moody because Bella had to work late. He still had a week left working for her, and he was a little concerned about everything that came after they were over this hump.

Jasper raised an eyebrow. "If I'm not welcome here, you need to take away my key." He gave Edward a cheeky grin. "I'm afraid you're going to have to find it though," he said mischievously, sitting back on the couch and waggling his eyebrows.

Edward bit the inside of his lip, amused. "It's been a long day. You have a problem. Continue."

The look on his friend's face was unnaturally serious, and Edward was actually concerned as he sat on the couch. "This is going to sound ridiculous," Jasper muttered. "Edward... how do you ask a girl on a date?"

Taken aback, Edward blinked at Jasper stupidly. Then he burst out laughing. "How the fuck should I know?" he asked, his voice wry. He grimaced, a whole new set of ridiculous worries occurring to him then. He'd assumed that Bella would want to go out on Friday night since it would be the first time they could do so freely. Did she expect to be asked? What were they going to do? Sure, they'd had pseudo-dates at home, but they'd never been able to keep their hands off each other. They would have to be better behaved out in public.

How did Bella feel about public displays of affection?

"Hey. Space cadet," Jasper called, snapping his fingers in Edward's face. "Help me out here. You already have a girlfriend. You have to know more than me."

Bemused, Edward snorted. "Jasper, you were actually there during out courtship," he said the last word sardonically. "The most I've ever asked a woman is what her pain threshold is. I'm not so sure that's the right thing to lead with in a normal situation."

Jasper snorted. "I don't know. This particular girl has proclivities that may just exceed my own."

"So what's the problem here?" Edward asked, perplexed.

The expression on his friend's face then was unlike Edward had ever seen. It was part the face of someone who'd bitten into a lemon and that awwww face people made when they saw a particularly tiny kitten. He sighed. "You've made me soft, Cullen."

"Ha!" Edward chuffed. "That's something you've never accused me of before."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Alright, smart ass. I mean... I blame you. All of a sudden, I'm wondering if there's something to this whole steady girlfriend thing. I guess... I want normal. I want to ask a girl out to hang around with her clothes on."

"Instead of just hanging from your ceiling?" Edward teased. He sobered then, considering Jasper's problem seriously. Then he hit the other man's arm lightly. "Hey. What about a double-date?"

Groaning, Jasper hunkered down further into the couch with his arms crossed. "Why do I feel like I'm in high school again?"

"I don't know what else to tell you. There's not much to asking a woman out. You open your mouth, you say 'Hey, let's do coffee' and she either accepts or tells you to drop dead...in so many words."

Jasper groaned again and then growled as Edward nearly fell off the couch laughing. "What the hell is so funny?"

"You are!" Edward exclaimed, catching his breath. "Holy hell, Jasper, do you realize how odd this sounds coming from you? I would think someone who has asked men and women alike to 'keep your hands on your head while I fuck your mouth' shouldn't be scared to ask a woman out to dinner."

"See, the difference is that when they're in my fucking playroom, I'm pretty damn sure their only response is gonna be, 'yes, sir.' You're just cocky because it's fairly unlikely Bella would say no to a date with you." He sighed. "Are you sure you don't mind me crashing your first date? Wouldn't you rather be alone?"

Edward grinned. "We've been alone. The idea is that we get to go out with people now. But I'll ask her."

Jasper snickered. "I guess I know who to buy the collar for."  
 **  
**

**~0~**

Apparently, someone had decided that Edward leaving warranted cake. He had to roll his eyes at office politics. He'd never been great friends with Mike and Bree, the rest of the team didn't know him well at all, and Jasper knew he wouldn't miss the place.

But, hey! Free cake.

"Excuse me," a slightly irritated voice came from the doorway of the breakroom. Edward hid his smile as he looked to where Bella was standing with her hands on her hips. "I'm sure we'll all miss Mr. Cullen, but the show must go on. Work. Let's get back to it."

Grumbling, the employees herded back to their desk. "What a bitch," Mike said under his breath.

Edward frowned. "We've been just hanging around for almost half an hour. I'd say she has a point."

Mike looked taken aback and Edward wondered if he'd said too much. Wouldn't it be just peachy if he ruined things for Bella in the last hours of his employment?

"It seems to me," a low voice broke into their conversation, "that Bella is almost eager to be rid of you."

Edward turned slightly, snickering lightly as he gave Riley a small smile. "I didn't always make things easy on her," he admitted.

Riley looked contemplative, a secret smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "No, I suppose you didn't."

Feeling a rush of unease, Edward stopped Riley before the other man could move on to his desk. "Listen, this is going to sound weird after all these weeks, but I get this this feeling that we've met before."

Edward prided himself on reading people, and he swore he saw a flash of guilt and annoyance in Riley's eyes before the other man looked away. Then Riley grinned, chuckling. "I get that a lot. I guess I just have one of those faces."

Bella came over then and Edward forgot all about Riley. She offered him a small smile as she handed him an envelope. "Looks like you're free to go, Mr. Cullen. Have a nice life," she said easily, and he could see the twinkle of humor in her eyes.

He smirked, allowing a grin to spread across his face. Taking the envelope from her, he winked cheekily. "I just might at that, Miss Swan."

**~0~**

That evening found Edward out with Bella, Jasper and Jasper's housemate-date Alice. He could instantly see why Jasper was so turned around by the woman. Vivacious was a good descriptor. Beyond an innate sexiness that Edward could see was giving Jasper a hard time - so to speak - the girl was interesting. It was easy to understand why Jasper was interested in more than just tying her up and having her way with her.

Jasper was smitten, and Edward was amused. They'd gone from dinner to a club - a regular dance club with no floggers or chains in sight - and the boys were rounding up some drinks for their little group.

Edward had to admit, it was nice to be out with Bella at his side. She'd relaxed into her role as his girlfriend easier than he expected. Any questions he had about how she felt about public displays of affection were put to rest when she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him firmly before dinner even got there. Then again, that might have had something to do with the strawberry blond who'd been eye fucking him from a few tables away.

"Holy fuck," Jasper gasped as they got back to their table. It was abandoned except for their jackets. Edward followed his friend's gaze out to the dance floor and his eyes widened.

Their dates were on the dance floor.

Together.

Grinding.

Edward picked up his shot of whiskey, tossing it back and swallowing hard. Alice was not all that much shorter than Bella, so their bodies touched in all the right places. Their hips moved to the music, hypnotizing in that way only female bodies could be - all curves and grace.

Alice turned as she danced, backing up and sliding along Bella's front. Her eyes were closed but Bella's eyes were open, her mouth turned up as her eyes took in the body of the smaller woman. As if she felt him watching, Bella's eyes darted up, finding his. Her grin grew wider, and Edward's cock got harder. She knew exactly what she was doing.

By the looks of it, Alice did too. Her eyes were just slightly open and trained on Jasper as she shimmied and swayed against Bella's body. The two women moved together, their lips parted in a way that begged to be kissed.

So much for keeping his hands off her.

Edward's eyes darted around the dance floor. He and Jasper weren't the only ones looking at the girls. That was all he needed to decide. He looked at his friend. "Evasive action?"

"Definitely," Jasper agreed.

They waited until the girls' eyes were closed as they danced and then sidled over to them. Edward began swaying to the music as he danced up behind Bella. When he put his hands on her hips, she jumped slightly in surprise, but then melted back against him. Her hands released Alice, going up and sliding into his hair. Obedient to the way she tugged, Edward dipped his head so he could kiss her neck, moving his body in time with hers. "Took you long enough. I was beginning to think I'd have to push Alice down on the floor and have my way with her to get you over here."

Edward's breath caught, and he looked up to where Alice had wrapped her arms around Jasper's neck. "Damn, I knew I should have held out." Bella laughed and spun, her arms going around him as they continued to dance. "I guess it's a good thing you get along so well with Alice."

"She's good people," Bella said easily, her hands traveling from his back down to cup his ass and back again. "She likes Jasper, you know. A lot."

"Really?" Edward said, curious. He'd been trying to figure out if Alice's level of attraction matched Jasper's all night.

"Oh, she's playing it cool to his face, but when she dragged me to the bathroom with her..." Bella whistled. "'Omaigosh, Bella is this going okay?'" she imitated in a slightly breathless voice. "'Because I rreeeeaaallllly want him to like me and not just think I'm some floozy. I was drunk before and, Jesus Christ he was hot, and yeah.'"

Edward laughed and then groaned as Bella brushed up against his semi. He stilled her movements with his hands on her hips. Glad that her hair was up in a high ponytail, Edward dipped his head again, taking her earlobe in his mouth and biting down hard enough to make her gasp. "I know you know what you're doing," he growled, his voice a low rumble in her ear. "Do you think it's very nice being a tease?"

She said nothing, just smiled wickedly as she turned around again, grinding her ass against his groin. "This isn't very appropriate first date behavior," he admonished, though he kept her pressed back against him.

She shimmied, moving up and down his body in tune to the beat. "What are you going to do about it?" she taunted when her head was resting on his shoulder. "This isn't Underworld. I don't think you could get away with bending me over the table here."

With his hands on her waist, Edward spun her. His lips were on hers then, hard and demanding. "And when we get home?" he challenged.

Her eyes were mischievous. "I'll take my chances."

He stared at her for a moment, incredibly turned on and just reveling on how lucky he was. He was in love with the same woman he lusted after. She drove him crazy in the most amazing ways, and now there was nothing to put a damper on their happiness.

He took her hand, putting on a stern look as he began to drag her off the dance floor. "Edward!" she laughed, dragging back a little. "What are you doing?"

He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her hard against his side. "Showing you what happens to pretty little teases," he said, his lips against her hair.

Her face flushed and she looked around as if to see if anyone had heard him. Edward caught Jasper's eye, noticing that both he and Alice were laughing. "Be right back," he mouthed.

Jasper waved at him in a way that that made it clear Edward could take as long as he wanted.

Edward quickened his pace, holding Bella's hand as they all but ran out of the club. Away from the loud music, Bella tried again. "What are you-"

He pulled her toward him, kissing her soundly. "Shhhh," he hissed against her lips. "That's quite enough out of you."

She was silent as he led her through the mass of cars in the parking lot. It was lucky, Edward reflected, that he'd parked toward the back.

As soon as he located his car he pushed Bella back against the cool metal. His hands were on her immediately, touching and caressing and squeezing all the places he'd been dreaming about all day. Bella whimpered against his mouth, matching his ferocity as her hands went to his hair. He cupped her breasts in his hands as he kissed her making her moan as his fingers found her nipples through her blouse. "Edward," she panted breathlessly when he released her mouth long enough to hitch her leg up around his hip. She gasped as he pressed hard against her.

As abruptly as he'd attacked her, Edward set her back on the ground. Bella made a little whining noise as he stepped away from her. Her eyes met his, confused and hooded with want. "Turn around," he said in his most demanding, gruff voice.

Bella blinked, looking confused. His hands on her hips, he spun her, facing her toward the car. He ghosted his lips across her shoulder, clucking as if she were a naughty child. "Now, I know you're better at following instructions than that," he admonished. He snaked his hands down her bare arms, grinning as she shivered against him. Wrapping his fingers around her wrists like manacles, he moved her hands, bracing them on the top of the car. "Don't let go, no matter what. Do you understand?" Her shuddering breath was the only answer until he dropped his hands to her breasts, tweaking her nipples while she gave a little cry. "Do you understand?" he demanded.

"Yes, sir," she said quickly. "Edward... what are you going to do. There are people around."

"Hmm," he murmured, guiding her back a step so her ass jutted out toward him. "There were people around when you were grinding your ass on me, weren't there?" He grinned, hearing her breath catch as his hands hiked up her skirt. She mewled when his fingers hooked into the waistline of her panties, dragging them down to her knees. "I guess you'd better be quiet."

He could see her body tremble slightly as he brought his hand back up the inside of her thigh, placing his free hand next to hers on the car so he could lean over her and against her. He felt the heat radiating from her center as his fingers skimmed closer. "Oh, fuck," she moaned when he passed his fingers around and around her sex and over the insides of her thighs without hitting the spot she wanted him most. She bucked her hips, trying to guide him, but he wouldn't be caught. "Don't like that very much, do you?" he asked, taunting her. "Do you like being teased?"

"Please," she begged, her hips writhing, desperate for his touch.

He skimmed his fingers along her entrance, making her groan before he let his fingertips part her folds. "Is this what you want?" he asked.

"Yes. Edward. Please."

His fingers worked in and out of her, sliding deeper with each pass. He varied the pressure on her walls, brushing her clit with his thumb and listening to the noises she made. When he had worked her to the edge of orgasm, he let his tempo slow, slow, and then stop. Bella groaned. He moved his fingers in her and over her again, and again her breathing quickened. When he slowed and stopped, she bit her lip hard. "Please. Let me..."

"Let you what?" he demanded, his fingers moving achingly slow. Her hips gyrated, seeking friction.

"Let me come!" she begged.

He smiled smugly. "Shhhh," he admonished. There are two guys over there. They hear you begging. Maybe I should just stop if you can't control yourself."

"No!" she yelped. She breathed deeply and lowered her voice. "No. Please. Please, just let me come."

"What are you going to do for me?" he asked, increasing his tempo, letting his thumb lazily rub her clit as he pumped into her.

"Anything," she said, her voice reedy and needy and her body wriggling against him. It was all he could do not to fuck her right there against his car. But that would be messier than he wanted because he wanted to drag her back into the club and let her stew for a while without her panties.

"Anything?" he asked, fingering her hard and quick now.

"Yes, yes. Fuck."

Out of the corner of his eye, Edward saw the two men looking curiously in their direction. He leaned against Bella, wrapping the hand that wasn't thrusting into her over her mouth to muffle the little shrieks she emitted as she came, her hips bucking against his palm.

She slumped against the car as she caught her breath. Edward helped her take her panties all the way off, then used them to clean her up. Then he opened the door of the car, sitting and pulling her into the backseat with him.

Bella didn't have to ask what he wanted out of her. Instead, her hands went straight to his belt, unbuckling and unbuttoning until she'd release his cock from its cloth confines. She didn't hesitate, instantly rearranging herself on the seat so she could comfortably lean over. Her hot mouth enveloped his cock and Edward had to struggle not to thrust his hips up against her face. He sat on the edge of the seat so her hands could rub his balls through his boxers as her mouth moved on him.

It was a good thing they were sealed safely inside his car because Edward doubted he could have kept as quiet as Bella had. As she bobbed up and down on his cock, her tongue swirling around his head and then along his shaft as she took him in deeper, Edward stroked his hand along her back, fisting the fabric of her shirt when he gasped.

He loved how Bella knew his body as well as she knew her own. She did not tease him this time, instead bringing him to his release easily.

When he was spent, and they had tucked everything back in, Edward held her to his side, wanting a quiet moment before they returned to the club.

"This is nice," he sighed, his lips against her hair. "It feels good to be out with you after all this time." He kissed a line down to her ear, just slow, gentle pecks. "I know it's not as exciting as spending the night in the basement, but I hope you're having a good time."

She chuckled. "I am," she assured, but there was something in the tenor of her voice that got his attention.

"I know that face," he murmured, tilting her face up with his fingers beneath her chin. "You're worrying. Why?"

 

She bit her lip, her face screwing up adorably. "Do you remember a couple of years ago? There was this huge account and Bob Banner was up all our asses about it? And then you did all that work overtime one night. We were almost done."

Edward grimaced. "And the computer crashed before I could save."

"Right," Bella said with a smile. "You were so frustrated, but I was sitting there smiling and you asked me why."

Edward chuffed. "You said, 'I just won a bet, Cullen. I told Mr. Banner you'd fuck this up somehow.'" He gave her a look.

Bella looked appropriately abashed. "Not my finest moment. But the reason I was smiling is because I was going out of my mind worrying about what was going to go wrong. Something always goes wrong, Edward. It's an inevitability of life. What happened with that account? We powered through, re-did the work and it was twice as good. But if nothing goes wrong with the process, it's going to fall apart on the big sell: either the clients will hate it or they'll yank the project away from us at the witching hour."

"So, because nothing went wrong, and no one suspected anything in these weeks we've been together, you think something is going to go wrong with us?" Edward clarified.

She closed her eyes and laughed lightly, laying her head on his shoulder. "I know it's stupid. It's just the way my life has worked so far."

"It's not stupid if you're worried about it," he said comfortingly, tracing the pad of his finger around her ear. "Just don't let it stop you from enjoying this... enjoying us. Whatever happens, we're going to face it together."

She lifted her head, her smile broad. "I like the sound of that," she said, kissing him softly.

"I do love you," he said intently, cupping her cheek.

The remnants of her worry eased as she tilted her head up to kiss him. "I know. I love you too."

"Now come on," he said, kissing her forehead before reluctantly pulling away from her. "We should see how Jasper and Alice are doing."

Bella snickered. "Wanna bet they didn't even realize we're still gone?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Chyeah, so. I was totally not intending for that lime nugget to be there but then Bella started being a tease and you know Edward had to retaliate. And that kind of threw off my stride. SIGH. So I'm not entirely sure, but I think we have one more chapter and an epilogue left.
> 
> Butttt... the epilogue does have the return of Jasper to the bedroom. Yes? Yes?
> 
> Thank you to Barburella an jadedandboring.
> 
> And you gorgeous people. I adore each and every one of you. This story has hit over 1k reviews, so you can imagine how scummy I feel for not doing review replies when I said I was gonna. With the e-mail links not working, you can only do 100 review replies a day. I don't do them every day and I have 4 active or just finished stories.
> 
> So let me answer this frequently asked question. Yes, OhMiBod is real. :)


	16. The Other Foot

"I like this - you staying over on a school night."

Bella snorted. "I don't know what the appeal is," she said, climbing into her side of Edward's bed. "I have to go in early tomorrow. You remember that, right?"

"I remember now," Edward said, climbing in beside her. "But, I should warn you. I tend to get very forgetful late at night."

"Now you tell me," Bella pretended to lament.

Edward only smiled at her, a feeling of sublime contentment coming over him. There was a beautiful woman in his bed, and while he would not complain if she wanted to ride his cock into the sunset, he was just as happy that she would be at his side all night. There was nothing tangible hanging over them, dictating deceivingly simple things like whether or not she could spend the night.

It was surprising how much he was looking forward to simply falling asleep with her in his arms without the prerequisite of having ripped all her clothes off.

Endlessly fascinated by even the mundane pieces that made up Bella Swan, Edward watched as she stretched her arms, popping each of her fingers in turn. This was obviously a pre-bed ritual he hadn't been privy to before.

As she breathed deeply, settling back on the pillows, Edward couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking. Did she expect that he would try something? Would she feel slighted if he didn't?

He didn't notice that he'd gotten lost in thought until Bella poked him in the chest.

"Talk to me, Edward. Don't brood." She smiled wanly, folding her hands under her cheek as she looked at him. "You never had a problem telling me what you thought at work. What's so different now?"

His lips quirked and he let his eyes wander over her face. "The worst you could do at work was fire me." He scooted closer to her, his fingers playing over the satiny fabric of her nightwear. "I didn't care about what that woman thought of me. I admired her, a lot." His lips turned up at one corner. "I even had a little crush on her."

"And me?" she asked, her voice almost insecure.

Edward cupped her cheek, stroking the soft skin of her face with adoring reverence. "I admire you." He kissed her forehead. "You fascinate me." He kissed each of her eyelids. "And I love you." He kissed her lips soundly, his hands still cradling her head.

When their lips were free, Bella wrapped a hand around his wrist, rubbing her thumb across the top of his hand. "Then why do you look worried?"

He pursed his lips, wondering how best to answer her question. Of course he worried. He'd never wanted something to work so badly in his life. He'd never had something it would hurt him to lose, and he knew enough of relationships to understand that relationships could be broken by seemingly inconsequential things. "Don't you ever feel insecure about us?"

Bella chortled. "Of course I do," she said quietly, her fingers brushing his cheek. "I wonder if you miss... uh... sex with Jasper." She grinned at him, a tiny smirk that lit the corner of her lips. "I thought about buying a strap-on."

Edward made a noise halfway between a gulp and a laugh. The thought wasn't unappealing. "Oh, my."

Grinning, Bella draped an arm around his waist. "Are you seriously getting turned on at the thought of me with a cock?"

He stroked her hair away from her face. "You know what they say. They couple that kinks together, stays together."

"Is that the secret? We should write a book..."

**~Friday~**

"Ugh, why are people so stupid?" Bella exclaimed, her head in her hands.

Jasper was vaguely amused. "If they weren't, it's likely we wouldn't have jobs," he pointed out. "What's going on?"

Bella sighed. "The La Push account," she said.

"Again?" Jasper scoffed.

"Those boys are like big kids with toys, I swear. They managed to muck up their site pretty bad," she grumbled. "I can restore a lot of it, though that will take time. But some of it just has to be re-coded." She looked up at him, her expression irritated. "And they need their site up and active tomorrow for a presentation."

Jasper narrowed his eyes. "Well, tough cookies. They shouldn't have been fucking around in there."

Bella smiled tightly. "Unfortunately, they've offered us quite a bonus if we can get everything up and running tonight. Marcus has already taken their cash so-"

"So we get to stay overtime on a Friday," Jasper concluded.

"Not we. Me. I'll stay. I need you to see who else can work overtime tonight. Of the 12 of them, some must want a little extra cash," Bella murmured.

"Why not me?" Jasper demanded.

Looking up, Bella arched an eyebrow at his tone. "Officially, you're over the amount of overtime you can do in a week."

Grumbling, Jasper settled back in his seat, crossing his arms. "You said officially. Is there another reason?"

"A friendly suggestion," Bella said carefully, putting a deliberate emphasis on the word friend. "You and Edward haven't spent a lot of quality time together lately."

The blond man smirked. "Yes, well. He's been a little busy as of late."

Bella smiled, ducking behind her computer to conceal her blush. "We can be a little intense." She sighed lightly. "That's part of the problem."

"That's a problem?" Jasper was amused.

"Not now, no. But I don't want to become one of those couples who forget all about their friends." She looked down at her hands, almost shy and a little sheepish. "I really want to do this right."

Jasper had to smile. "And it doesn't hurt that you'd be sending Edward to play with his friends while you have to work anyway," he concluded, his voice teasing.

Bella looked up, a wicked glimmer twinkling in her eye. "It's not my fault that the stars align in my favor."

**~0~**

"It feels weird being here," Edward murmured, passing his beer from hand to hand. He and Jasper were sharing a quiet drink in Underworld, and he was nervous for some reason he couldn't name. As much as he almost never stopped thinking about her when she was out of his sight, he was particularly anxious that evening. There was some protective mode that was putting him on edge.

"Edward, will you relax?" Jasper said, slightly vexed. "You can be without Bella for a little while."

Edward gave his friend a withering look. "It's not that." It was a half truth. Certainly, not being with Bella was putting his mood off tonight but that wasn't the only reason he felt uncomfortable. "I mean, this isn't exactly the kind of place you go just to hang out."

"It isn't?"

"Did we ever come here just to hang out?" Edward challenged, tilting his head at the other man.

Jasper pursed his lips and didn't answer.

"Exactly." Edward shook his head lightly. "We've never come here when we weren't hunting. But then, maybe I'm assuming. Did you need me to play wingman for you?"

"I don't need help picking up bedroom partners," Jasper said, rolling his eyes.

At that, Edward had to smile. "So things are going that well with Alice?" he asked, trying to put away his needless anxiety. Jasper's annoyance was well deserved. It had really been a while since they could hang out together, especially since Jasper had moved out.

Running a finger around the rim of his beer, Jasper seemed contemplative. "I don't even know what to do with myself," he finally said. "You remember all the things Maria said I never did? How I was never... sweet to her?"

"She said all the little things added up to a lot," Edward remembered.

"Well, with her, the little things were a chore. With Alice... it's crazy, man. We went out last weekend to Pike's Place, and I'll be damned if I didn't feel the urge to buy her every last thing she oo'ed and aw'ed at." Edward wondered if Jasper realized he was smiling as he spoke but couldn't ask because his friend was still rambling. "So she says that she's always wondered how you cook crab, and I find myself saying there's no place like the present to find out."

Edward furrowed his eyebrows. "But ... you don't even like crab."

"I know!" Jasper sighed in exasperation. "And yet, somehow I found myself wrestling a g'damn live crab, trying to cook it. That shit is macabre, I'm telling you. You can't kill your own chicken - I mean, if you don't live on a farm - why crabs and lobster?"

Both men laughed quietly and then fell silent, watching the goings on of the club around them. They used to walk in like they owned the place, now they simply observed, not interacting with the men and women who hoped to catch their eyes.

In a club like Underworld, they were safe from any potentially interested submissives by nature alone. The more dominant, however, were a little more difficult to shake.

"Jasper. Edward. What a sight you two are," a sultry voice said, almost purring as the speaker took a seat at their table without asking.

"Victoria," Jasper greeted, plastering on a smile and watching Edward do the same.

"It's been forever since I've seen you here. When was the last time?"

"Don't recall," Edward responded shortly, exchanging a look with Jasper. How could they forget any part of that night? They'd been speaking with Victoria when Jasper had spotted Bella across the room.

"How have you been, Victoria?" Jasper asked, diverting her attention away from that night. "It's unusual for you not to have a sub, isn't it?"

She tossed her hair over her shoulders, putting on a practiced, easy smile. "I did switch for a little while there. That was an adventure."

"So you were the one with James," Jasper said, nodding.

Victoria's eyes narrowed. "How do you know about James?"

Edward watched as Jasper struggled to keep his grimace off his face. It was a tactless mistake on his part. "Just one of those small world coincidences," he soothed easily. "James rented a room from two of my good friends."

"You know Peter and Charlotte?" Victoria tilted her head, appraising Jasper with new eyes. Then she snapped her fingers. "Oh, yes. I remember. The last time I saw you fellows here, you took off all of a sudden. It was really quite rude. Riley got quite a thorough punishment in your stead."

Edward choked on his drink. "I'm sorry, who?"

"Riley. He was my last sub before I met James," Victoria replied, missing the look that passed between the two friends. "He was... useful. Maybe I should look him up again."

Fishing through his pockets, Jasper threw a few bills down on the table, grabbing Edward by the arm. "We have to go. Now."

It was Victoria who protested. "What? Again? What is wron-"

"I'm sorry, Victoria," Edward interrupted. "Your drink is on us. Happy hunting," he said shortly before striding quickly toward the exit with Jasper.

"He was there that night," Edward said needlessly. "He could have seen us leave with Bella."

"He could have," Jasper agreed, finding his keys in his pocket. "But why not mention it all this time?"

"Then what made you rush out of there?" Edward asked. He would have gone, that went without saying, but Jasper didn't have the same obligation, nor was he as paranoid as Edward was.

Jasper sighed, knowing Edward wasn't going to take this well. "Because she's alone with him or will be soon." He proffered his friend the text message he'd received from Bella just a few minutes before Victoria's revelation.

_**Bree is almost done. Then I just have to wait for Riley to finish, and I'm free.** _

Edward tensed, his fists clenching. "Drive fast," he commanded.

All things considered, Jasper was amazed Edward didn't demand he pull over and let him drive. He pressed the gas, speeding up. "You can't assume anything, Edward. You can't go in there pistols blazing to save her. In all likelihood, he doesn't even remember that night."

Edward was silent, but Jasper could hear his teeth grinding from where he sat. They were almost to the building and Edward was growing tenser by the second. "Do I want to know why you were texting my girlfriend?" he growled.

Jasper bristled. "I wasn't texting your girlfriend, I was texting my boss because overseeing that project is partially my responsibility." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Edward turn away, looking out the window. "Because I know you're worried, I'm going to let that one slide, Edward. But if you ever pull that fucking suspicious bullshit on me again, I will not hesitate to kick your ass. And you will not like it."

Again Edward was quiet, but a moment later there was a grudging, "Sorry."

"It's fine. This time," Jasper allowed graciously. "Clear your head now. You don't want to create a problem where there isn't one."

But in the next second, his words were rendered irrelevant. Bella's office was visible several floors up. The glass windows took up nearly the entirety of one wall. Through the window two figures could be seen. They were either struggling or kissing, and given that no part of Jasper believed Bella would cheat on Edward - with Riley of all people - Jasper figured it was the former.

Edward was out of the car before it even stopped moving, sprinting toward the building. Jasper wasn't far behind, his phone already out and dialing 911.

**~0~**

Bella took her glasses off, digging the heels of her hands into her eyes and rubbing hard. Staring at lines of code had never been her favorite part of this particular position.

Her phone chimed, and Bella automatically smiled. The one highlight of her evening had been Edward texting. She received a text roughly every 15 minutes, and felt a rush of giddiness every time.

This time, though, it was Jasper and not Edward texting.

**How's everything going? Are you almost free? Are you sure you don't need my help?**

Smiling. She type off a quick reply.

_**Are you trying to get rid of Edward already?** _

Then she took a quick look at the sections of the site she'd assigned Riley and Bree to look at.

_**Bree is almost done. Then I just have to wait for Riley to finish, and I'm free.** _

Just as she was about to close the page she was on, her practiced eye caught a mistake. A big one. "Fuck. Riley..."

They'd had this discussion. When they spoke about it, Bella got the feeling that he was just smiling and nodding - not taking her seriously at all. Of all the new recruits, Riley had been dawdling in the shallow end of the pool, falling behind even Santiago - the man she'd hired to replace Edward - in productivity and quality of work.

Above all things, Bella considered a manager's job to be about the people she managed. Whether they succeeded or failed was, to a large extent, her responsibility. Realistically, Bella knew she had a certain amount of power over these people's lives or at least their livelihood. It was not a power she wielded lightly. It was one of the reasons why she was such a bitch in the workplace. Because Bob Banner had never supported her, her underlings tended not to take her seriously. This was a detriment not only to her work life but to theirs. If she couldn't get the right amount of quality productivity out of them, she had no leg to stand on when she went to bat for them with the higher-ups.

Sighing, Bella sent an instant message, calling Riley into her office.

Riley arrived in her office a moment later, Bree following closely behind. "Unless you need something else, Miss Swan, I'll be leaving now."

Bella quickly flipped over to the pages that she'd assigned Bree and scanned the work. She nodded. "Have a good weekend."

Bree took off, leaving Bella alone with Riley.

"Mr. Biers," Bella began, making her tone severe, "while I appreciate you taking the initiative to stay after hours, your hard work is useless to me if the work is shoddy."

As she spoke, Riley walked around to her side of the desk. Bella trailed off, completely bewildered. "Mr. Biers, what are you doing?"

"Someone is obviously a little cranky," Riley cooed. He began to massage her shoulders.

Quickly, Bella coiled out of his reach. "Mr. Biers. Sit down on the other side of the desk. This is completely inappropriate."

He folded his arms, smirking at her like one would at a small child who was obviously lying. "Come off it. You and I both know inappropriate isn't exactly your concern."

Bella's blood ran cold as her heart started to pound in double time. She swallowed before speaking, trying to keep her voice steady. "What are you talking about?"

Riley cocked his head. "Jasper really doesn't remember, does he? I know Edward doesn't, but sometimes...the way Jasper looks at me, I thought he remembered."

"Jasper?"

Riley laughed. "Don't worry, Miss Swan. I've kept your dirty little secret so far. It's an interesting set up you have here. I know Jasper doesn't submit to anyone - Victoria has tried often enough."

"I honestly don't know what you're referring to, Mr. Biers -" Bella began but Riley's scowl stopped her words.

"I should have known he wouldn't remember. A submissive in that club is nothing more than another accessory," he muttered. He looked up at her, his smirk melting into a sneer. "But then, you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?"

Bella didn't answer. She couldn't find her voice.

"I was there that night, at Victoria's feet," he spat, his voice curdling around the name. "She was talking with Jasper and Edward, and they suddenly disappeared... when they saw you."

Bella's mouth went completely dry. She swallowed twice, but even as panic and dread began to prick at her consciousness, the nameless anxiety that had been hovering over her head ever since she'd let Jasper and Edward take her home disappeared. She remembered her words to Edward the previous weekend. All of it had gone so smoothly...too smoothly. This was the other shoe dropping, and while everything else was spinning out of axis, at least she didn't have to worry about this anymore.

"I don't know what you think happened-" she began but Riley cut her off.

"Come off it," he snapped again. "We both know what you were there for. And the way you three disappeared out of that club so quickly, I can put together the pieces easily enough.

"I've been watching the three of you since I got hired. You and Jasper seemed to have perfected your little charade. Tell me - what went wrong with Edward? I saw the way he watched you. Did you and Jasper take turns playing master?" He looked up at her, leering in a way that made Bella's skin crawl.

"That's enough," she said, her voice acidic. "My personal life is none of your business and well beside the point right now."

"I've been waiting to have a little alone time with you," Riley continued as if she hadn't spoken. He reached out, drawing his hand along her shoulder inward toward her neck and placing a finger on the first button of her blouse. "I was thinking, if you and Jasper don't have anything going on, maybe we could play."

Furious and frightened, Bella slapped his hand away. "Mr. Biers, since you are obviously working under a misapprehension, I'm inclined to forget this ever happened if you sit your ass down right now."

"You know what I'm sick of?" He grabbed her by the arms, squeezing hard enough that Bella cried out briefly in surprise and pain. "I'm so sick and tired of bossy little girls. Yeah, I thought it was hot when Victoria talked me into all of that shit. And then when she was done parading me around like she owned me, she took off."

Regaining control of herself, Bella twisted, throwing off his grasp. "I don't give a good g'damn who Victoria is or what she did to you. I  _am_ your boss. You get paid to do what I say here."

Riley laughed harshly and then rushed forward, grabbing her chin in his hand and and squeezing roughly. "You want me to prove I'm the man here? Is that what you want? Yeah, I bet that's what you're begging for, isn't it, slut?"

Bella kicked out, digging the heel of her shoe into his shin. "Let go!" she cried. When his hold on her loosened, she pivoted and tried to run, but he grabbed her, swinging her around and pushing her face first over her desk.

Leaning over her, Riley grabbed a fist full of her hair - bun and all - and yanked her head up. "You're really starting to piss me off, you know that?" he asked, shaking her.

As Bella tried to clear her head, Riley rummaged through her desk, drawing out a ruler she kept in the drawer. Keeping his hand on her back, pinning her down, Riley stepped back and promptly brought the ruler down hard across her ass. Bella jumped. "You need a lesson on what happens to disobedient whores?" he lectured as he continued to hit her.

And in a warped sort of way, Bella understood what was happening.

If this whole scene had played out with Edward in Riley's place, it would have been a turn on. Yes, Riley was being rough with her, but no rougher than Edward, or Jasper or most of the men she'd been with before had been.

The power games she played with the men she slept with could easily be perverted - interpreted wrong by outsiders. Obviously, someone - Victoria she bet - had taught Riley the wrong rules to this particular game. He didn't understand that true power lay at the feet of the submissive, and control was a gift to be given only consensually.

And he didn't understand that she did not consent to this. He thought she was just playing into the scene.

Bella grasped a statuette that sat on the corner of her desk - a heavy, stone piece she'd purchased on a trip to San Francisco. She made herself think past the panic and the pain, planning before she threw her body upward, making him stumble back. She turned and swung her arm, aiming straight for his head. The statuette made a sickening thunk, and Riley crumpled at her feet.

"Bella! Bella!"

Staggering a few feet away from where Riley lay, groaning, on the floor, Bella dropped her makeshift weapon, trying to clear the haze of fear from her mind.

"Bella!"

She finally registered the voice just as he came into view, sprinting toward her office. "Edward!"

Wrapping his arms around her, Edward drew her further away from Riley, as if he was afraid the other man would suddenly explode.

"Bella?" Another voice asked urgently. Bella finally tore her gaze away from Riley to see Jasper in the doorway. Jasper's eyes went from her to the man on the floor when Riley began to try to sit up on his knees.

"Get him the hell out of here before I kill him," Edward snarled, and Bella recognized that he was hanging onto her not only to protect her, but because he was keeping himself from flying at the other man.

Jasper didn't have to be told twice. By the time he got Riley to his feet, dragging him out of the room, Bella could already hear sirens. Her mind was reeling, thoughts coming and going at a hundred miles a minute. She couldn't seem to grasp much of anything. It took all of her concentration to keep from breaking down.

"Bella?" Edward asked, his voice a little frantic and worried. "Are you hurt? Please talk to me."

"I'm fine," Bella said automatically, proud that her voice didn't waiver. Her arms ached from where Riley had grabbed her, and her ass smarted from the ruler, but it was nothing serious really. "I have to... we're going to have to call Marcus. And the La Push account... that still needs to be done," she babbled, not even really realizing she was speaking.

"Bella," Edward spoke gently, taking her hand and running his thumb over the skin of her knuckles. Even her fingers were stiff, and she made an effort to loosen them enough to curl around his fingers. Light tremors rolled through her body, vibrating beneath her skin, and Bella breathed deeply, trying to calm them. "It's just me. No one else is here."

His words instantly shifted her mindset. If she could let go of the careful control she held herself with for just a moment, she would be okay.

Slowly, like cracks in a dam, Bella let herself feel the belated terror of the situation she'd just been in. Her vulnerability had been tossed in her face and horribly exploited. Physically at least, Riley had the upper hand and could have easily raped her or seriously hurt her. Bella's body began to tremble in earnest, and she leaned against Edward, her hands resting flat on his chest. She gasped, trying to control the residual panic, but then she finally started crying.

Edward simply held her, his arms circling her completely and holding her close. He rested his head against hers, rocking them both and murmuring over and over in her ear that he loved her and that everything was okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: You guys have made me giggle trying to figure out what was up with Riley. He appeared in the first chapter of Underworld. Hehehe.
> 
> So, obviously, these kids talked themselves into another chapter. I'm going to try to have it done within the week.
> 
> Again, I love all of you and your wonderful reviews. I'm so sorry I can't respond to them right now. And I love jadedandboring and barburella. MWAH.
> 
> If any of you have read No Place Like Underworld, the o/s I wrote with tellingmelies for the fandomfightstsunami compilation, let me know what you thought! I'll be posting the o/s on my profile as soon as I can for the rest of you.


	17. Safe Harbor

"You don't have to tell Marcus. It's none of his business."

"Edward, I have to tell him. You know I have to tell him."

Bella sat behind her desk, her face gone blank. She'd let herself cry in his arms for minutes only before she was back to business.

When the police got there, she'd wrested herself out of his arms, wiping away the remnants of her tears. Edward understood her need to stand on her own, especially after what had happened to her. Still, he'd been hovering, aching to take her back into his arms and protect her from anyone and anything that dared hurt her.

Now the police were hovering outside her office door, taking Jasper's statement. Riley had been carted off to the hospital to get his head wound looked at. Bella was behind her desk, her hair reorganized into that tight bun of hers, and her hands neatly folded in front of her as they waited for Marcus to arrive.

"I don't want him to hear it from Riley first," Bella continued, her voice remarkably steady.

Edward could see the logic behind her thinking, of course. Still, he hated the idea that he couldn't protect Bella from Marcus's reaction. "It would be your word against Riley's," he pointed out.

"And Riley's word would be the truth," she said flatly, finally looking up at him. Her eyes were so completely withdrawn his heart twisted. "What Riley did doesn't change the fact that I broke company policy. I knew what could happen, and I did what I wanted anyway." A small fire sparked, burning in the chocolate brown depths of her eyes then. She stretched a hand across the desk, laying it palm up toward him. Edward instantly threaded his fingers with hers. "I don't regret it. I can't regret it. But I have to accept the consequences of my actions."

He squeezed her hand, wishing he could shoulder some of the burden. Marcus couldn't touch him, and when it came down to it, Edward knew that Bella's confession would not affect Jasper. The simple fact was that Bella was the superior. The more power she had within the company meant that she was held to harsher standards.

"At least let me help you work on the account. You know I can fix Riley's pages," he tried.

Bella sighed. "I know you can, but you don't work here anymore. I'll bring it up with Marcus."

"Bella?"

Speak of the devil.

Edward and Bella looked up to find that Marcus had arrived and was hovering in the doorway. His face showed a hint of concern - remarkable given the man was nearly impossible to read. Marcus's eyes zeroed in on their joined hands, and Edward withdrew hastily, not wanting to make things worse for Bella. He cleared his throat. "I'll be out here."

Bella watched him go, trying to still the panic that briefly unsettled her. Part of her wanted to remain tucked under his arm. She was still shaken, but the night wasn't over yet.

Reluctantly, Bella turned her attention to her boss. "Jasper is working on the pages Riley left behind," she said quickly. "I don't know if he'll be able to finish before deadline without any-"

"Miss Swan..."

"-one helping-"

"Miss Swan," Marcus interrupted, holding his hand out in a stopping motion. "Bella. The progress of the La Push account is secondary to your safety. Are you alright?"

Bella paused, gulping down a breath as she folded her hands together on top of her desk to keep her fingers from twitching. "I'm fine."

"Tell me what happened."

Again, Bella was silent as she connected her thoughts. "Bree, Riley and I were the last ones working on the La Push account. I asked Riley to come to my office to discuss a mistake I'd found in his work. Bree went home and then... Riley made unwelcome advances toward me. I told him to stop ... and he didn't."

Marcus nodded. "I see. Well, let me say that I hope you intend to press charges. Whether or not you do, I will be doing so on behalf of the corporation."

Bella's heart stuttered, her throat going dry. "There's something you need to know before you get into that. I mean, it's only right that I'm up front with you." She paused, studiously staring down at her hands for a moment. "Riley got the ... Well, you see..." Bella let out an exasperated breath, closing her eyes and just spitting it out. "A number of months ago, I had an affair with Jasper and Edward."

Even out of her periphery, Bella could see Marcus's face go slack. Her cheeks flamed, and she pressed on, needing to get her confession out before she lost her nerve. "I didn't know it until tonight, but Riley was at the club at the same time Jasper, Edward and I were. He saw us leave together. That's one of the reasons he thought he could... that I would..." She trailed off, letting Marcus make his own conclusions.

Marcus was quiet for a handful of truly painful moments. "I'm not sure I understand. Just because you left a club together, why would Mr. Biers assume-"

"It was a fetish club," Bella blurted, staring so hard at the desk that she was surprised she didn't burn a hole there.

"Ah," Marcus said, his face going blank again.

Bella considered that if there was ever a good time for the world to rear up and swallow her whole, this was it.

"And what is the status of your personal relationship with Jasper now?" Marcus asked, his voice still not betraying any sort of emotion.

"We're friends," Bella said quickly. "We haven't uh... since you asked me to choose between him and Edward," she answered lamely. She hated that she had to feel ashamed of her choices in the bedroom. She was a grown woman, and here she was squirming in her seat as if she were a 17 year old girl caught with condoms in her purse.

Marcus raised a hand to his chin, stroking the small tuft of hair there. Bella thought she would go out of her skin waiting for his response. She was close to opening her mouth – a calamity that surely would have resulted in an absurd amount of babbling – when he spoke. "Well, I don't see the problem. I've watched you work together for months now, and I'll admit I was totally unaware of your er… history. Which is saying something. I am typically very good at seeing the way people relate to each other," he mused. Then he looked at her seriously. "As long as you're not currently, romantically involved," he said, putting the emphasis on romantically, "I see no issue with it. Though, in light of the circumstances, I'm glad you were up front with me before I was caught by surprise in any legal proceedings."

Bella gaped, replaying his words several times in her head, uncertain if she heard him right. "But company policy-"

"As a manager, you know that policy is more of a guideline than anything else. Most rules exist in a gray area and should be considered under the circumstances they were broken," Marcus said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Biting her lip, Bella took a moment to carefully form her next words. "Not to impugn your authority, Sir, but would Mr. Scarpinato and Mr. Scarpinato feel the same way?"

Marcus chuffed lightly and actually looked amused as he looked on her. "Should any of this come to a more public light, Aro and Caius might not like it, but they will ultimately defer to my judgment." A strangely secretive smile quirked at the corners of his lips. "Besides, they would have no leg to stand on given what they did for me. My wife and I were not nearly as discreet and wise as you and Edward were."

Bella's eyes widened, her face flushing as she realized the implications of his words. Marcus actually chuckled. "I told you. I'm very good at seeing the way people relate. I was quite worried when I saw the way you looked at each other. Now I can admit that it's one of the reasons I moved forward with the switch in your department as quickly as I did.

"You see, Bella, part of my job as a new president was to evaluate what resources may have been overlooked. A fresh set of eyes can do wonders for any business. Not to disparage Bob Banner, but it was immediately obvious to me that he did you a great disservice to you, and that your considerable talents were being wasted," Marcus said bluntly. Bella just blinked, too shocked to respond. "I could see what it took for you to gain the respect of your employees. That was Bob's folly. How could he expect them to respect you when he didn't give you that courtesy?

"But when I saw you and Edward together, I had to give him the benefit of the doubt. I had to figure out quickly how far I could trust you. A lot of effective management is in evaluating not only your people's skills, but how they work with the others on your team, including yourself."

He grinned as he gave her a pointed look. "You see, this is where Didyme and I failed miserably. It is nearly impossible for a romantically involved couple to keep personal life out of the office. Didyme was my boss in Italy – before she was my wife. You should have seen us. If we got into a fight before coming to work, we were a mess. Invariably, I would be insubordinate or she would be completely impatient with me. It was obvious to everyone that something else was going on between us. Between you and I, it's a big part of the reason why Aro had to relocate me here and Didyme moved on from the company altogether.

"But you handled the situation beautifully," he congratulated. "It was a shame to lose Edward – he is quite a talented young man – but given the choice between the two of you, I would rather have you on board."

For a long moment, Bella was silent. "Sir," she finally said, breathless with surprise, "I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything," Marcus assured. "Another quality my predecessor seemed to lack was the knowledge that a good boss understands that praise is just as valuable – if not more so – than constantly picking at faults. It's a shame you haven't heard this sooner, but you are a valued asset to this company. Certainly, I'm not willing to lose you over something as inconsequential as an office romance."

Marcus scooted forward so he could lean across the desk toward her. "May I be frank with you, Bella?"

Bella's eyebrows shot up. This wasn't being frank? "Please," she said, gesturing with her hand for him to continue.

"I know you understand that this stays between us for the time being," Marcus began. "Within a year's time, Jane will be taking over the Italy office. When that happens, I'm going to need a new Vice President of Development. Of course, I can make no guarantees what a year will bring, but from where I sit now, I want you to have that position."

If Bella's eyes got any wider, they were surely about to pop right out of her skull. This confession combined with the horror of earlier that evening, made her feel stuck in a surrealistic space. Her head swam as she grappled for what she was supposed to be feeling and thinking.

Marcus put a hand up. "Don't say anything." He smiled wryly. "You see, this is why I try to keep my interaction to a minimum. Once I start talking, I have trouble stopping.

"My point is that you absolutely have my full and complete support. I won't tolerate an attack on any of my employees, physically or verbally. Believe me when I say that if Riley chose to be indiscreet about whom he shared your personal business with, I will not tolerate anyone who chooses to make it a work issue," he assured. "Now, I know you've had a very rough night. You should go home and enjoy your weekend."

Bella stood, feeling slow as she tried to wrap her head around everything. Then she smacked her forehead with her palm. "Oh! But the La Push account. It's not done. Sir, I promised Edward I would tell you, he offered to help-"

"Bella," Marcus interrupted, his voice firm. "Let Edward take you home. And don't worry about the La Push account. Under the circumstances, we can afford to let go of this bonus. They'll have to make do with what was finished. I've met Sam Uley. One of his people was attacked on the job last year, poor girl. He'll understand."

Marcus made it clear he meant it. He shooed the three of them – Bella, Edward and Jasper – out of the building the moment he'd confirmed with the lingering police officers that they didn't need anything else from them.

Bella was silent on the drive home. She wasn't oblivious to the furtive glances Edward threw her way as he drove, holding her hand over the shifter. She knew he was likely going crazy, wanting to know what Marcus had said, but he was giving her space. Grateful, Bella squeezed his hands – a silent assurance that she would talk soon.

Back at his house, Edward pulled Bella over to the couch, simply sitting next to her, holding her hand while she tried to sort out everything that was going through her head.

Jasper, who had pulled up right behind them, set about finding her an easy, comforting dinner: tomato soup and grilled cheese. The warmth of the soup chased away the remaining chill that had settled like a pool of ice water at the pit of her stomach. As she ate, the boys talked quietly, giving her a sense of normalcy that she needed to ground her.

Still, despite their best efforts, Bella drifted in and out of the conversation, lost in her thoughts. She hardly noticed when Jasper left though he kissed her temple and told her she was 'a pretty bad-ass chick.'

It was a testament to how truly scattered she was that Bella didn't protest when Edward swung her up into his arms. Instead of bickering about it, she merely laid her head on his shoulder, letting him carry her to his room.

When they were both laying down, face to face, Edward finally started coaxing her out of her silence. "Talk to me," he requested, his voice pleading but gentle.

Fixing her eyes on his chest, Bella told him about the conversation she'd had with Marcus.

"That's amazing," Edward said, cupping her cheek. "I mean… that's a good thing - a great thing - isn't it?"

Bella sighed. "It is," she agreed. "I'm glad he told me how he felt, but I almost wish he hadn't. It's just confusing right now. There's so much going on in my head that it's hard to concentrate long enough to … I don't know. Calm down?" She struggled to put words together, feeling slightly incoherent and frustrated.

Edward was quiet, his fingers still stroking her cheek. "It feels … off to feel happy or proud right now?" he guessed.

A small smile tugged at Bella's lip, and she looked up, meeting his eyes. "Yes. That's it exactly."

"What else do you feel?" Edward prompted.

Bella found herself unable to answer. The truth was that she felt scared and stupid… even weak. But she didn't want Edward to see her that way.

Edward pursed his lips, watching her war with herself internally. "Do you remember when we played 20 questions, and Jasper and I asked why you liked the scene in Underworld?"

Chuffing lightly, Bella looked down, playing with the buttons of his shirt idly. "In retrospect, it feels like I was looking for trouble. How easily could I have gone home with someone like Riley?"

"Not that easily," Edward said firmly. "Before us – the men you were with –" Edward grimaced slightly. He got a touch jealous, thinking about her with other people, "- you talked to them, right? That was the way it was with Jasper and me. Whenever we found someone we wanted to play with, it wasn't just 'nice shoes, let's fuck.'"

Bella giggled quietly at the mental image.

"We talked a little. You know…established a certain trust. Because that's what it was all about – a mutual trust and respect of another person. That's not what Riley was after." His voice was rough when he said the other man's name. "That's not the way he operated. At least, not tonight."

His hand gently swept her hair back. "Bella, you know it's not wrong to want the things you want in bed, right? Just because he knew you went home with us, didn't give him the right to disrespect you as a person or his boss, and it definitely doesn't mean you asked for him to attack you."

"I know that," Bella said quickly, but even she could hear the doubt in her voice. She bit her lip hard, trying to quell the sudden urge to cry.

Running his hand down her shoulder and then tangling their fingers together, Edward sighed. "What I was getting at before… remember when you told us that one of the reasons you liked sex like that, was because it let you put the responsibility of control in someone else's hands, someone you trusted?" He waited for Bella's nod before he continued. "Well, what we have here, this relationship of ours… I think part of the point is that you trust me with not only your body but with everything else as well.

"You don't have to put up a strong front. I know you're strong. I will always think you are the most amazing person I've ever known. You're so smart and so beautiful." His voice was so utterly sincere, it was impossible to doubt his words. Bella bit her lip harder, somehow wanting to cry even more.

"There's nothing that you can say or do that will change my mind about the way I feel for you," Edward continued. "I love you. And part of that, part of this," he squeezed her fingers, bringing their joined hands up so he could kiss her knuckles, "is that you can let go. Be… vulnerable. Be afraid. Feel whatever you need to feel tonight because you've been through something frightening. You're safe with me."

Slowly, carefully considering his words to truly let the meaning of them sink into her consciousness, Bella began to shake. It was a profound concept, realizing that she could relinquish control of every part of her to the man who held her. Admitting her doubts and fears wouldn't make her a burden on him. They were partners. They were lovers and equals.

So Bella pushed on Edward's shoulder – a silent request that he lay on his back. When he did, she put her head on his chest, draping her arm low on his waist and holding his hand. She began to speak then, one by one putting words to all the thoughts tumbling around in her head. How she felt stupid for hiring Riley in the first place. How she was afraid, if the other employees figured out what happened, they wouldn't look at her the same. And would she be an effective boss if she didn't feel comfortable being alone in the building after hours with her employees? What if they needed to do overtime again?

Edward listened, offering solutions when he could and simple comfort when he couldn't. He wiped away the tears that occasionally spilled over and assured her that things would look better in the morning.

As hours passed, their conversation began to dwindle. Tucked comfortably against his side, Bella was about to drift off when Edward's soft voice drew her back into semi-consciousness. "Hey, Bella?"

"Hmm?"

"This is the thing you were waiting for, right? Something to go wrong? This means we can have our happily ever after now. Yes?"

Bella laughed, opening her eyes enough so she could kiss him. "Yeah. Now we can live happily ever after."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Heh. Yeah I know. A last chapter without SMUT... wtf?
> 
> Well, don't worry. The epilogue will be completely lacking of plot.
> 
> I will forgo the end of story grossness until after the epilogue. Until then - thanks to barburella and jadedandboring. And thanks to all of you. Still working on figuring out review replies and how the new system works into my spastic schedule.
> 
> OH! Before I forget - again - I'm running a contest this month. Bratty children. They are curiously absent from the Twi-fandom. Everyone writes kids who are amazingly smart and well-behaved. Well... STOP IT. Gimmie stories with real kids who throw fits and tantrums. I kinda want to see Edward, Bella and the gang deal with them. If you're interested, check out my favorite authors and click on ProblemChildContest for more info.


	18. Some Enchanted Evening

_**~About A Year Later~** _

"I wish you could have seen it, man," Jasper said, shaking his head. "We go in there and Marcus is doing his little spiel about promoting the both of us and how does that sound. He looked so pleased with himself. And then Bella, cool as a breeze, is just all, 'Well, that sounds perfect for Jasper but you're going to have to find someone else for the Vice President of Development position. I've been offered a job by Mr. Birdy's company and I'll be putting in my two weeks notice.'"

Edward laughed, shaking his head and imagining the calm look on Bella's face as she delivered this tidbit of news. "How'd he take it?"

"Edward, it is the only time I've seen that man thrown. He gaped. He stuttered." Both men were laughing now. "It was all I could do not to crack up. But then, you know, he regroups and is all, 'I just don't think I can allow that, Miss Swan.' Next thing you know, they're volleying back and forth. I was just waiting for Bella to bend him over the table and take him from behind."

"Ew," Edward winced. "Thanks for that image."

"Hey, they're my bosses," Jasper pointed out.

"I don't know how many times I have to tell you this, mother fucker," Edward said, pouring another shot of whiskey for them both. "Girlfriend gross-out factor trumps boss gross-out factor, even squared. And I know what Marcus looks like, don't forget that. I don't want to think about Bella bending him over anything," he shuddered. "Besides. She isn't your direct superior anymore."

Jasper chuckled. "Commitment's taking the kink out of you," he accused.

"You speak lies," Edward hissed, just tipsy enough to be a little goofy. "Just because I don't want to think about Bella with another man doesn't mean I'm not a kinky bastard."

"You never think about it?" Jasper asked after a minute. He was watching ice swirl around his glass rather than look his best friend in the eyes.

"About what?" Edward asked, a little scandalized. "Marcus and Bella? Are you insane?"

"No, not that," Jasper said quickly. "I mean, you've watched Bella with another man."

"Oh." Edward stared off, taking a long, slow drink of his whiskey. "Well, of course I've thought about it." He took another drink. "Make no mistake, Bella keeps me completely satisfied, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss you on occasion." He polished off the drink neatly. "Bella and I have even talked about -"

A loud shriek from the kitchen distracted both men. The sound was more surprised than distressed, so neither of them were worried, but they hurried in the direction of the kitchen all the same.

Quite a sight greeted them. Bella and Alice had been sharing a drink at the kitchen table. Now the bottle was overturned, resting in a small puddle of red wine. Bella was sitting in a chair that had been pulled out to the middle of the kitchen floor. Face down over her lap was Alice, her skirt hiked up and her panties pulled down as Bella slapped her ass with quick, crisp spanks. The spanking was obviously more playful than anything as evidenced by Bella's grin as she 'scolded' the naughty girl and Alice's giggling between yelps.

The men glanced at each other, their eyes darkening with growing lust at the sight. And what a sight indeed. Bella's face was flushed a lovely shade of pink from the wine she'd been able to imbibe before Alice had spilled the bottle. And Alice's pert little bottom was wiggling most adorably as she kicked in 'distress'.

Edward glanced at Jasper again, his look contemplative as he watched the other man's tongue dart out, licking his bottom lip as he stared. Coming to a decision, Edward cleared his throat with feigned disapproval. "Bella," he said sharply. "What is it that you think you're doing?"

Bella's smile when she looked up at her audience was coy. She didn't stop spanking her friend as she spoke. "I'm punishing this bad, bad girl," she punctuated the last three words with slaps hard enough that Alice squealed, "for making a mess. I want my wine back."

"That's enough," Edward said, his voice demanding. "Let her up this instant. Is this how we treat guests in our house?"

That caught Bella's attention and she looked up at him, her eyes slightly wide. She couldn't immediately tell if he was actually upset with her. Edward winked and Bella relaxed slightly, putting on a scowl as she reluctantly let Alice up.

Reaching his hand out to Alice, Edward pulled the smaller woman away gently, guiding her into Jasper's arms as she rubbed the sting out of her ass. Meanwhile, he stepped over to Bella, grabbing her firmly by the arm and hauling her up.

"Hey!" Bella protested. "I'm not the one who wasted good wine."

Edward smothered a grin, glad she was playing along. "No, you're the petulant hostess who's rude to her guests."

Bella's eyes twinkled with mischief as her pout turned into a sexy grin. She brought her free hand to his cheek, stroking with the pad of her thumb. "So you can punish me for it later."

Edward couldn't help but lean in, kissing her lips sweetly. His grin matched hers as he pulled back. "No need to wait." Putting his fingers under her chin, he tilted her face up. "Go get your paddle. The round, leather one."

Even as her eyes went wide, Bella's cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red. Her eyes flickered from Edward to her curious friends. The smile one Jasper's face she recognized. It was the same way he used to look at her over a year before, when they were playing. And the way Alice was now rubbing her ass in slow circles, her eyes eager, made it obvious she wasn't objecting to the idea at all.

"Now, Isabella," Edward demanded, making Bella jump. She moved off quickly then before he could up the ante any. He'd recently invested in a tawse he was rather fond of...

When she got back, paddle in hand, the other three had relocated to the living room. She was surprised to find Alice and Edward sitting on the smaller of the couches and Jasper standing, his arms crossed.

Edward put an arm around Alice, stroking the back of her head like he was petting a cat. "See, Bella, it's up to Jasper what Alice gets punished for. You took that right away from him. He might have spanked her for you if you'd asked nicely."

"He does like it very much," Alice said pleasantly.

"So now you're going to ask Jasper to punish you. Nicely," Edward commanded, his voice steady.

Bella swallowed thickly, her chest rising and falling rapidly. They all knew where this was leading, and Edward didn't prompt Bella again, giving her the chance to back out if this wasn't what she wanted.

Bowing her head, Bella crossed to where Jasper stood. She knelt at his feet, offering the paddle to him. "Jasper, please punish me for punishing Alice... even though she really deserved it."

"Bella," Edward admonished sharply.

Alice giggled. "It was really good wine," she allowed.

Jasper patted Bella's head almost tenderly with one hand as he took the paddle in his other. "Stand up." Bella obeyed and he stroked her cheek, drawing his fingers down her neck, across her shoulders and down her arms. Bella stood absolutely still as he hooked a finger into the hemline of her pants, tugging her closer. His lopsided grin as he looked at her was lascivious. "I would be happy to punish you, Bella."

With deft fingers, he unbuttoned her pants, yanking them down with her panties. Bella gave a little gasp but didn't protest as he pushed the fabric all the way down to her ankles. "Kneel on the couch," he commanded.

Bella stepped out of her shoes and pants, obeying quickly. She knelt on the couch with her hands braced on the back. She jumped as Jasper smacked the back of her thighs with his hand. "Spread your legs." He ran his hands over her exposed skin as she did what she was told. "Good girl. Now stick your pretty little ass out for me."

He spanked her with his hand first, a slow even tempo slapping one cheek five times and then the next. Bella was relatively still, only gasping and moaning lightly as she bit her lip. She knew from experience that he could use more force than he was using currently. The steady increase of pain was only exciting her more, and she was sure he knew that.

Watching her lily white ass turn a pleasant shade of pink was never a turn off for Edward. His arm still around Alice's shoulders, his hand began to trace the line of her shirt collar. He was distracted, not noticing the way her collar plunged until his hand grazed her breasts. Their eyes met briefly.

Her nipples were hard.

Edward was about to apologize, but Alice took his hand, guiding it to cup her breast fully as she pressed herself tighter against him.

Bella was just beginning to lose her composure, her ass beginning to bounce a little as her breaths became more labored. But even as the pain grew steadily, so did the tight feeling coiling at her core. She wanted to beg - not for him to stop, but to call attention to her growing need.

Jasper stopped as suddenly as he began, but before she could catch her breath or plead with him to touch her, his hand was replaced by the feel of the leather paddle on her aching skin. Bella bowed her head, groaning. She dug her fingers into the fabric of the couch, resisting the instinct to straighten up and protect herself.

"Do you think it's good hospitality to hit people who come to visit?" Jasper asked calmly as he began to spank her. His tempo was quicker now, intense, filling the air with the sound of leather against tender skin.

"N-no," Bella managed to stutter between gasps. The pain was incredible, and when her hips bucked it was as much to seek some kind of pressure as it was to escape his relentless paddle.

"No what?" Jasper demanded. The paddle was falling with no discernible pattern, striking each cheek once, twice, three times in different places so that Bella couldn't get used to it or predict it.

"No sir! Fuck."

Edward nearly bit through his lip, he was trying so hard not to moan. The way Bella's ass was wiggling called to him, and he wanted to be buried deep inside her. His hands were rougher as they moved over Alice, squeezing tighter, but she must have been enjoying it because she wasn't bothering to hold back her little groans of pleasure. Alice moved suddenly, climbing onto his lap and making Edward gasp audibly as she sat. Now his hands could wander easier and as she writhed under his ministrations, her ass brushed purposefully along his erection.

"Ow! Fuck. Please," Bella begged. It was all she could do to keep in place.

"Well, naughty girl, if you were being a good hostess, your guest wouldn't have to spank you in your own house," Jasper lectured.

"I'm sorry," Bella whined, whimpering as tears pricked at her eyes. The fire in her bottom was becoming almost more than she could bear. That coupled with her absolute need to be fucked hard and fast was making her a little desperate.

Jasper finally stopped, the room becoming too quiet after the loud thwacks of the paddle. There was only the sound of Bella's ragged breaths as she tried to calm herself.

"Alice," Jasper called, extending a hand toward her. Edward had to bite back a little groan as the smaller woman slid off his lap. "Come here, baby doll." He brought her to stand where Bella knelt and guided her hand to Bella's ass. Bella let out a little yelp at the contact on her abused skin but didn't pull away. "You tell me, sugar. Do you think Bella's been punished enough?"

"Hmmm," Alice pondered, running her hand all along Bella's ass, feeling the heat of her welted, marked skin. Bella's gasps turned into little moans and she wriggled, pressing her ass against her friend's hand. "I think she looks beautiful."

"Thank you, dear," Jasper said, patting Alice's cheek lovingly. "Now you kneel right here a minute."

Alice sank to her knees off to the side a bit as Jasper resumed his place behind Bella. He kept a hand on her back, keeping her from getting up as he reached between her legs with his other hand. Bella gasped, moaning as his fingers teased her center, stopping just short of her clit.

Jasper chuckled. "You are very wet, Bella. I think you enjoyed that, didn't you?"

"God. Yes," Bella admitted, pressing back against his hand, trying to tempt him deeper.

"Do you think I punish you for your pleasure?" he asked, sliding his fingers inside where she was slick and hot.

"Um," Bella's voice shook as she answered, "yeah, actually."

Alice snorted and Edward chuckled. Jasper smirked, making Bella whimper because he stroked her clit as he withdrew his fingers. "Get on your hands and knees on the floor."

"Fuck," Bella huffed under her breath. To her credit, she obeyed quickly.

"Good. Now go to Alice and thank her for being merciful on you. I'd have turned your lovely red ass purple if she wanted me to."

Bella crawled the short distance to Alice. She bowed her head, kissing the exposed skin of the other woman's knees. Bella sat up on her knees, taking the raven-haired woman's face carefully in her hands. Alice's eyes fluttered closed as Bella leaned in, peppering kisses to her friend's forehead, along her hairline. She nibbled lightly on Alice's earlobe before marking a trail down to her parted lips. The kiss was sweet and deep, the two women using tongues and lips to communicate while their hands brushed along sensitive spots on their arms and backs.

Jasper beckoned to Edward and both the men sat on the couch, watching with rapt interest as the women kissed. There was something so unbearably sensual about two women kissing. Was it just that they knew how to touch each other? Their lips were slow and lingering as they moved, fingers feather light, eliciting sighs and goosebumps along each other's skin.

Alice's hands traveled down, cupping Bella's ass as they kissed. Bella gasped into her mouth, thrilling at the renewed rush of pain that throbbed through her body with her pulse. She stood up on her knees, crushing the other woman against her body. There was nothing gentle about their kisses now. Bella's red ass turned white where Alice was gripping her. She snaked her hands up through Alice's hair, grabbing hold so that they were both vying for dominance of each other.

That was when Jasper knew he had to do something. Though Edward had technically started it, they would all three do what Jasper bid them. If he didn't take control of the situation, the girls would soon have each other on the floor, and while that wasn't such an unbecoming prospect, his need to be deep inside the woman he loved was reaching critical mass.

Quickly, Jasper stood, dragging Edward up with him. Next, he took Alice by the arm, guiding her to her feet. Alice pouted at him. "But I wasn't done with Bella," she complained.

"You're not done with Bella, my lovely," Jasper said, stroking her cheek and kissing her lips soundly. As he kissed Alice, he reached down, pulling Bella up. Breaking his kiss with Alice, Jasper looked around at the three sets of lust filled eyes that stared back, waiting for his command.

"You," Jasper said, running a thumb over Edward's full lips, "go get your lube."

It was almost comical how quickly Edward ran off. When he came back, he dropped the lube in surprise, any blood he had left in his body quickly rerouting to his cock.

Bella was lying on her back on the couch, her hand tangling in Alice's hair as the other woman kissed her way down the brunette's neck. Alice's small, nibble fingers worked at the buttons of Bella's shirt and kissed her skin as it was exposed. She undid the front clasp, lowering her mouth to lick and suck at Bella's nipples, one at a time, as Bella writhed, tangling Alice's hair between her fingers.

"Jesus, God," Edward mumbled, running his hands through his own hair and squirming because the amount of clothing he was wearing was getting uncomfortable.

Jasper appeared out of no where, grabbing Edward and pulling him close roughly. "You know that it's polite to bring a gift for the host?"

"Is that right?" Edward asked, his eyes straying to the lovely display on the couch. Jasper grabbed his chin, forcing him to concentrate. Edward was startled to find the other man's face only an inch or so from his. The atmosphere between them was warm and familiar. It was like coming back home from college after being away. Sure, moving on with your life wasn't a bad thing, but home was always some place he'd be be welcome.

"Mmm," Jasper assented. His hands stroked the length of Edward's back, down over his ass and then around to his front. He ghosted his lips across the other man's chin and cheek. "You know what I'm going to give you?" he asked, taking Edward's hand and guiding it behind him. "I'm going to give you a piece of this fine ass. What do you think about that?"

Edward chuffed, tugging Jasper's lower lip between both of his. "What if I said no."

Jasper snorted. "Well, I have a bottle of Gentleman Jack in the car," he taunted, running his finger along Edward's cloth covered length.

"Fuck." Edward kissed him again. "You want me to fuck you?"

"That's the idea," Jasper confirmed, unbuttoning Edward's pants. Eager, he shoved them down along with the other man's boxers. Edward moaned as Jasper took his length in one hand, pouring a generous amount of lube into his palm. "Do you want to fuck me, Edward?" he asked as he stroked, spreading lube from his tip right down to his balls.

"Yes. Now," Edward gasped, unbuttoning Jasper's pants as he spoke. The mens' kisses were quick now as they undressed each other, tugging away clothing as they stumbled over to the couch.

"Bless you for having a low armed couch," Jasper muttered. The women were watching them now, Alice resting her back against the couch as Bella, nude now, stroked her hair with a Cheshire cat grin.

"Should I have a complex about this?" Alice whispered conversationally to Bella. "I know sometimes he just wants a good, deep fuck but he won't let me buy a strap-on."

Jasper pulled Alice to her feet, clamping a hand over her mouth. "Woman, if I didn't already have plans for that pretty little mouth of yours, I have half a mind to ball gag you." He turned her around, pushing her face forward over the arm of the couch. "Bella, scoot up here so my pretty little darling can make better use of that wagging tongue of hers."

"Shit," Bella cursed, her whole body flushing with want. She did as she was bidden, whimpering lightly as Alice pressed kisses to the inside of her legs.

As she worked, Jasper stood behind her, spreading, teasing her entrance with his length. Alice's moans vibrated along Bella's skin, as Jasper thrust into her. When he was buried deep inside the woman he loved, Jasper reached a hand back, beckoning Edward forward.

Edward circled the pad of his thumb, well lubed, around Jasper's entrance, eliciting gasps of pleasure from the other man. He replaced his thumb with the tip of his cock and pushed forward carefully.

As Jasper's walls closed in tight around his cock, making Edward shudder with pleasure even as the other man chanted, 'yes, fuck, yes', his eyes went to Bella. She was such an exquisite creature. Her head was thrown back, her full lips parted as she mewled her pleasure. She had one hand on her own breasts, squeezing and brushing her fingers over her nipples as Alice licked and sucked at her clit. Watching her ecstasy would have easily made him come on its own. Between that and his his cock sinking deeper and deeper into his best friend... Edward didn't think he was going to last very long.

Jasper was in much the same boat. Every sensitive nerve in his body was being titillated and stimulated simultaneously. As he worked in and out of Alice, his hands pushing her shirt further up the silk contours of her back, Edward matched his rhythmic thrusts. He remembered when it was Bella between him and Edward and wondered if this was how she felt - so filled and pushed the extremes of the pleasure his body was capable of.

"Fuck. Baby, yes," Jasper murmured, though it was unclear who he was speaking to.

"Alice. Oh, God. Alice," Bella gasped, her hips bucking up off the couch.

Edward groaned at the breathy sound of her voice, slamming into Jasper hard enough that the other man gave a strangled cry. With his hands on Jasper's waist, keeping them both steady, Edward increased the pace of this thrusts, almost pulling out before he pushed back in. But when Bella's eyes flitted open, meeting his, his breath strangled.

Though they weren't physically connected, he felt her under his skin. Her lips turned up, the noises she was making better than the finest piece of music to his ears. It was a whole other kind of pleasure, and it was too much. Edward gripped his friend's waist hard, pulling him back against him. "I'm going to come. Fuck. I can't -"

Jasper's body was pushed and pulled. Alice's body drew him in, Edward's hands pulled him back. Jasper merely road the wave, entirely out of control for once. He abandoned his actions to instinct, letting Edward's hips push him into Alice at the other man's pace.

Edward came first, jerking and bucking against Jasper's back, buried deep inside him, but Jasper wasn't at all far behind.

The moment the boys were in control of their senses again they moved. Jasper dropped to his knees, resting his head on the pert little bubble of Alice's ass as he replaced his cock with his talented fingers. Alice let out a long, loud moan because Jasper knew just how to touch her to drive her insane. Her groan was muffled against Bella's skin and the vibration made the other woman moan in return.

Edward sat behind Bella, pulling her up to lean against his body. His lips went to her neck, kissing, nipping and licking as he reached around her, taking her breasts in his large hands. He rolled her nipples between his fingers as Bella laid her head back on his shoulder.

Alice got too distracted as Jasper's fingers worked inside of her, hooking and finding that sweet spot inside of her as he left little bite marks on the pinked skin of her ass. "Oh, God. Jasper. Your fingers. Christ I love your fingers."

"Fingers, yes," Bella said in vague agreement as Edward's hand snaked down her body, his fingers circling her clit to pick up where Alice left off.

The men reclaimed their women, bringing on their release like they were playing instruments. The girls' caterwauling made for a surprisingly sweet harmony given that their words were nonsensical. Alice's little body shook and Bella writhed against Edward.

Still breathing hard, Jasper helped Alice up, rubbing her shoulders as he sat with her on the couch. Bella was still sprawled against Edward and he pressed tender kisses to her cheeks and chin, finally claiming her panting lips.

"That was amazing," she mumbled against his lips.

Edward chuckled, caressing her face adoringly. "You're such a deviant, my Bella."

Bella just snorted and kissed him, her hand running through the disaster area of his hair.

"I've been thinking about ... that for a long time," Jasper admitted, cuddling Alice close.

Opening one eye lazily, Edward eyed his best friend. "Was it everything you thought it would be?" he asked lightly.

"Mmmmhmm," he hummed. "Maybe..." he began at the same time Edward said, "I wonder..."

"No," Alice said firmly. "It was ... wonderful. A wonderful night with two amazing friends." She reached back, stroking her fingers along Jasper's cheek. "Let's not tempt fate."

"I agree," Bella murmured.

There was silence between the two couples, a little sad, but mostly sweet as the heat drained from the room.

Bella and Alice sat up first, their hands reaching for each other. Bella kissed the other woman's cheeks before kissing her lips. It was a small kiss. A thank you and a good bye altogether, and watching the women, Edward and Jasper knew they were right.

Their relationships were strong and solid, growing deeper as the months passed. They were all successful professionally. A happy future lay out for all of them - marriages and BBQs on the weekend as their kids played together.

Their friendship had begun with the innate connection between people when they trusted their bodies to one another, but it couldn't keep on that way and they all knew it. Better to have this one sweet night and leave it at that.

Edward and Jasper smiled at each other, nodding in a silent pact. With the girls pressed tight between them, the boys shared a final kiss, resting forehead to forehead.

"Stay," Edward said when they parted. "In the guest room, I mean. Wouldn't want you out on the road with how much we've been drinking."

"Yeah," Jasper agreed. "Anyway, I'm worn out," he said with a wink.

Edward laughed. "I can't imagine why."

Laughing and comfortable, the couples unwound themselves, picking up clothes and pulling them on.

"Fuck," Bella hissed as she pulled her pants up. "Jesus Christ. I won't be able to sit for a week."

"Don't pretend you didn't like it," Edward teased, smacking her ass playfully enough to make her yelp.

Hand in hand, both couples went up the stairs and to their own rooms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N And that's all she wrote. Thank you so much to everyone for your support. I'm glad you enjoyed this little foray into the smut-laden center of my brain.


End file.
